TU alumna one of 5 McCall MacBain Scholars finalists in the U.S.
BFA dance alumna Taylor Richardson moves on to final round of interviews for prestigious scholarship in Canada
By GRACE HOGGARTH '22 on February 14, 2024
For Taylor Richardson ‘23, graduate studies had always been something she wanted to pursue one day. Now, the McCall MacBain Scholars program is her gateway to making her dreams in dance and arts integration education a reality.
Canada’s prestigious leadership-based scholarship program provides awardees with a fully financed education, mentorship, workshops, monthly leadership enrichment courses and an individual mentor specific to their field of study.
As one of the five U.S. finalists, Richardson will fly to Montreal in late March for a rigorous four-day final interview process.
Her long-term goal is to establish a nonprofit that uses dance education and movement-based academic and therapy integration to serve minority communities, particularly Black students and cultural organizations. Should Richardson be awarded this scholarship, she plans to pilot this nonprofit while at McGill University by working with local dance and arts organizations.
Richardson also hopes to bring the knowledge she gains back to the U.S. to create stronger arts integration programs in community partnerships like the Maryland Dance Education Association and the Kennedy Center.
One of the most exciting aspects of this program for Richardson is the opportunity to work closely with a mentor in her field. She is also excited to work with and learn from like-minded individuals from international backgrounds.
Richardson says, “[Becoming a finalist] has been a highly reflective period for me. I’m still thinking about where I fit in these rooms and spaces. I feel like this is such a new world for me. I’m still getting over imposter syndrome.”
She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance performance and choreography and education concentration through the College of Fine Arts & Communication (COFAC) and a minor in interdisciplinary studies with a theme of Black performance theory— a plan she developed with dance professor Vincent Thomas through the interdisciplinary studies program in the College of Liberal Arts.
“When I created my minor, I knew I wanted to use it as an opportunity to delve deeper into the historical and contemporary components of African American life and reality and how that translates into performance art,” she says.
During Richardson’s time in COFAC, she composed original dance pieces, featured in the local Baltimore dance scene, and performed and taught choreography in Japan with Tabata Vara ‘22 and South Africa with the University of Delaware under the direction of Lynette Overby, Ph.D.; Hassan El Amin, Ph.D. and Tumi Lambert Vil Nkomo.
Richardson continually strives for academic excellence and personal growth, and she credits the Office of Competitive Fellowships & Awards (OCFA) and its director Mary Devadas, Ph.D., for supporting her during the application process for the McCall MacBain scholarship.
“Every time she pushed me, it brought something out of me that I didn’t see in myself,” Richardson says of Devadas. “She’s doing miracle work there. She pushes every student to their highest potential. It's a beautiful thing.”
It was through Richardson’s application process for the Fulbright U.S. Scholarship, for which she is now a semifinalist, that she heard of the McCall MacBain scholarship opportunity from Devadas.
“Taylor is the first student representing Towson University at the McCall MacBain scholarship competition. She has revamped leadership in her honors society, immersed herself in dance education and possesses the tenacity of an entrepreneur,” says Devadas.
“Taylor emulates traits they are looking for in finalists: integrity, kindness, curiosity and courage,” she continues. "She has the endurance to succeed. Taylor has been working with several faculty in the Department of Dance at TU who echo the same about her.”
Melanie Perrault, TU provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs, also supported Richardson through practice interviews.
“We are so proud of Taylor and all the hard work she has done to get to this point in one of the most competitive scholarships in the world,” says Perreault. “I am grateful to the many faculty and staff who volunteer to help students engage in the rigorous process involved in applying for this and many other scholarships through the Office of Competitive Fellowships & Awards."
For Richardson, receiving a scholarship as prestigious as the McCall MacBain scholarship would open a new pathway for her career and also set a precedent for those who come after her, particularly from small cities like Wilmington, Delaware.
“It’s very valuable knowing I have gotten this far in the application process. I’m setting a bar for students in TU’s dance department and young Black girls but also for people who come from the same background,” Richardson says.
Office of competitive fellowships and awards
If you are curious about applying for the next cohort of McCall MacBain Scholars, reach out to Mary Devadas, Ph.D., for more information and to attend an information session online. Applications will open on June 1, with an early internal feedback deadline of June 15. Up to 130 scholarships and awards will be offered for enrollment the following year (summer/fall 2025).