Harper McGee, BBA 20118
One word that I would use to describe our giving ceremony this week would be joy! It was the day that our class has been waiting and working for all semester. We were finally able to present the giant checks to the different organizations that we chose to give grants to. It was a day of excitement and celebration for all the good that is happening in Waco, and as I looked around the room, I was struck by the pure magnitude of all of the good that was going on in Waco.
My group, the arts and culture group, was able to give to the Youth Chorus of Central Texas (YCCT), Creative Waco, and Cultural Arts of Waco. These three groups were so deserving of our resources and their projects aligned with our group’s original goal of funding projects and organizations that focused on bringing arts education to children in poverty. We were able to give equipment and scholarships to the YCCT. Although this was a seemingly smaller amount of money, it will drastically change the organization. We were also able to fully fund the playing cards project for Creative Waco. This project will inspire and pay 52 Waco artists, and all of the proceeds selling these playing cards will go into the AMP fund which will give out grants to other arts and culture organizations. This allows me to have peace of mind knowing that even though we cannot fund all of the organizations that we would like to, we are able to help them in a small way through this fund. Finally, we were able to give funding to the Cultural Arts of Waco for the plans for their new building on Elm Avenue. This soon to be art gallery and studio will aim to educate the Waco youth about the arts and to inspire the next generation. It will provide a safe and creative outlet for so many children that would not have one otherwise.
As I looked at all of the good in Waco that I was able to be a part of, I was also in awe of all that I learned along the way. As my professor, Dr. Andy Hogue, continually points out, in this class our experience is our textbook. Through this class I learned many things including just the basics of what the grant process looks like, what the important questions are to ask these organizations, that we can give more than just money, and that sometimes a small amount of money can go far in an organization.
Although those are all great things to learn, I think the main thing that I learned through this process was how vital arts and culture organizations are in a community. So many times in impoverished areas, like parts of Waco, arts education is the first thing to be dropped in the school system. However, the exposure to arts and culture at a young age is imperative to a child’s ability to think creatively and a direct link to a his or her success in the future.
It was an honor to take this class, and I am forever grateful for the lessons that I have learned.