Marching Forever Down the Years
Fall 2016 - Angie Brown thinks of Baylor as a home away from home. And as a member of the Golden Wave Band, her instrument being the mellophone, she feels like she has a second family on the Baylor campus. "As a part of the Golden Wave Band, I never really had to experience that freshman anxiety of being separated from my family," she said. "My family simply got larger by about 300 people."
A senior from Burleson, Texas, who is majoring in Middle Grades English, Language Arts and Reading in the School of Education, Angie said the close bonds she has with fellow band members has helped during the ups and downs of college life over the years. "These people have seen me at my best and my worst. Without my close friends in the band, I truly do not know where I would be right now, and I would not trade that for the world."
A Rich Tradition
The Baylor University Golden Wave Band is one of Baylor's oldest traditions, stirring the hearts of Baylor fans with its powerful music and creative marching drills for more than 100 years.
Angie's participation in this area of student life on campus is both something that has shaped her Baylor experience and an opportunity that was made possible with the help of a woman she never met - Elizabeth Parkhill Scott (BA '42).
Elizabeth, who died in 2009, left a provision for Baylor in her will that created the Elizabeth Parkhill Scott Golden Wave Band Endowed Scholarship Fund. It's a gift that grows each year and already has opened the door to a Baylor education for dozens of deserving students by providing scholarships to Golden Wave Band members like Angie.
"Scholarships have been hugely important to my college career," said Angie, who is the recipient of several other scholarships and financial aid. "The Elizabeth Parkhill Scott Scholarship, in particular, is the only reason that I was able to continue marching band after my freshman year."
A Musical Life
Oscar Cruz is another recipient of the Scott Scholarship, in addition to other scholarships, grants and financial aid. A senior from the Houston area, he is majoring in instrumental music with a concentration in euphonium.
"The financial assistance I have received over the years has had a major impact on my life because I would not have been able to attend Baylor without it," Oscar said. "I will be forever grateful."
Oscar plays the trombone in the Jazz Band, plays the baritone in the Golden Wave Marching Band, and is in one of the campus orchestras. If that's not enough, he also sings in the Men's Choir. Music is obviously important to him, but he says it's the family of performers behind the music that matters most.
"Being in the Golden Wave Band has been an amazing experience because on top of making lifelong friends, playing at football games and visiting other schools, I became a part of a second family that came together every year to share the gift of music with others," he said.
The Baylor Difference
Having reached their senior years, both Angie and Oscar sing Baylor's praises.
"Becoming involved in many different organizations got me out of my comfort zone and helped me become a more confident, responsible person," Oscar said. "Coming to Baylor has been life changing because my unique experiences have shaped me and prepared me for the real world."
Angie said that in addition to being challenged by Baylor's academic standards, the University provided her with dynamic opportunities to connect with others.
"Interacting with people from so many different walks of life and belief systems has changed my worldview so significantly that I honestly cannot fully remember what it was like in my own mind before college," she said. "I've met some people who will likely be my best friends for the rest of my life."
For more information about how you can leave your own legacy like Elizabeth Parkhill Scott did, contact the Office of Gift Planning at 1-800-BAYLOR-U, option 4, or go to baylor.edu/giftplanning.