Mark Drum has a lifelong legacy of leadership within the Educational Theatre Association and Foundation — as an International Thespian Officer, teaching artist, ETF trustee, and EdTA board member. His latest leadership contribution: a pioneering scholarship to support Asian and Pacific Islander representation in the theatre community.
“Being an Asian Pacific Islander Immigrant, I didn’t have many role models who looked like me in theatre or leadership in the arts,” Drum said. That experience has inspired Drum to create an annual scholarship supporting Asian and Pacific Islander students.
The Mark Drum Endowed Scholarship will be a $1,250 award to a graduating Thespian or alumni pursuing undergraduate studies at an accredited college or university. “I want to provide an opportunity for an underrepresented and marginalized community in the association to have access to a scholarship specifically for them,” he explained.
Drum said he wishes a scholarship like this had existed when he was a student, which motivated him to create the opportunity. Applicants will be asked to discuss how theatre and their Thespian experience has impacted their lives.
Drum’s is the second ETF scholarship launched this year specifically to promote racial equity in theatre. The Kenny D. Hasija scholarship, established by Broadway producer Ken Davenport in memory of his father, also is awarded annually to students in underrepresented groups.
Applications for the Mark Drum Endowed Scholarship will open later this year. You can help support theatre students pursuing higher education with a donation to ETF.