Taylor Wisham couldn’t have been more excited about going into her senior year at Illinois State University.
The theatre major had a bevy of auditions and activities to look forward to as the fall semester got underway.
“I’ve always had a passion for acting and theater,” said Wisham, a native of Homewood. “It has a way of bringing a lot to people.”
Her passion was strong, yet on the brink of being tempered by overbearing workloads. Being named a scholarship recipient provided Wisham with that extra cushion she needed.
“I got the scholarship at the beginning of summer, and it really helped with books and housing. It gave me time to focus on theater and my education.”
Wisham works at Dining Services during the school year and with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival during the summer, which includes teaching a summer camp at the Children’s Discovery Museum in Uptown Normal.
She found that with her scholarship, she can keep the job schedule manageable and still maintain her focus at the University. Her stress level has been significantly diminished. She now has additional time each week to prepare for an increased number of auditions.
With aspirations to make her way into the Chicago theater world, Wisham is confident her final year at the University will be the catalyst to help spring her forward—thanks in no small part to the scholarship she received.
