Amanda S. Lassetter

Lasseter

“I have witnessed drama’s power to bring people together. The arts are what are left when things are blowing up around us. They are a refuge; they offer beauty to balance the blight in the world.”

  • Program: 2008 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Recipient
  • Resides: Abbott, TX
  • Hometown: Misawa, Japan
  • Age: 33

Biography

PROFILE: Amanda Lassetter spent much of her youth in Germany. Traveling in Europe, she was exposed to art, theatre, and culture of all sorts. Today she has rekindled her love of the arts, pursuing drama and theater in particular. Amanda’s road back to school after ten years as a wife and mother began in 2003. “My eldest son had finished kindergarten and was embarking on his first summer vacation. We signed him up for the Children’s Theatre Summer Conservatory camp, and I was thrilled to watch him thrive. As he continued his involvement, I did as well. I volunteered backstage, in the costume shop, and in the scene shop, and eventually became the volunteer coordinator.”
Two years later, Amanda was able to return to college. Beginning with a course of general studies, she became even more involved in the Children’s Theatre, serving as stage manager. By the following fall, she had declared drama as a major. “The best part of my current situation is the ability to include my husband and children in everything in which I’m involved.”
INSPIRATION: Returning to school after ten years has been Amanda’s greatest joy– and biggest challenge. “Maintaining balance among my commitments to my education, my family, and my community has been overwhelming at times.” But she says, it has been “exceptionally rewarding.”
ASPIRATION: Amanda plans to become a college professor or a professional dramaturge.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: As a team leader for Phi Theta Kappa, she organized an interfaith panel discussion on the topic of “Religion, Power, and Social Responsibility.”
ACCOLADES: Amanda received the Excellence in Dramaturgy award for her work on a production of Pride and Prejudice. She is also a recipient of the Dorothy Richards Fornoff Performing Arts Scholarship, McClennan’s theater department scholarship, and the Phi Theta Kappa Outstanding Service and Leadership award.
INTERESTING FACT: For a production of Pride and Prejudice, Amanda delineated the wealth and social status of the characters and provided the costume designer with their yearly incomes.
 

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