Westmont Magazine The Westmont Fund Is All About Students
Felisha Vasquez ’12, who has performed in seven major productions and three Fringe Festivals, graduated in May as the outstanding senior in theater arts. She hopes to earn a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Missouri-Kansas City after marrying her high school sweetheart this summer.
She came to Westmont to study under Professor John Blondell because her high school theater arts teacher considered him a genius. Blondell says Felisha is a tireless worker and a dynamic actor with an excellent ear for text. “Her performance in ‘Peer Gynt’ was razor sharp, driven and exotic,” he says. “She captured completely the sense of a world out of control, and she did it with a dizzying approach to speed and rhythm. At Westmont she became an excellent writer, a witty conversationalist and a community-building member of our department.” The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival chose Felisha to represent Westmont, and the faculty there commended her “conscientious preparation and profound commitment to her work as well as her consistent efforts to correlate her artistry and deep faith.”
The first member in her family to attend a four-year college, Felisha says financial aid, including theater and cultural diversity scholarships, allowed her to afford Westmont. “I couldn’t have done it without the phenomenal grants,” she says. “I didn’t know what a liberal arts education was when I arrived. But I’ve gained knowledge in philosophy, religious studies and the humanities, and I’m much more well-rounded. It’s been a great experience.”
Your gifts to the Westmont Fund give scholars like Megan the opportunity to make a positive impact in our world for God’s Kingdom. Go to www.westmont.edu/giving to donate and meet other students. Read more at westmontimpact.org.
The Westmont Fund: Expanding the ministry of Westmont