With Heart and Voice

Fall 2019 - During a recent trip through Texas as a part of a summer opera workshop, recent Baylor graduate and current University of Cincinnati music student Lindsay Webber (BA '17) posted an update on Facebook that captured her upbeat and grateful spirit.

"This summer was a joy! I had the opportunity to meet and work with some great people and learn the role of Pamina from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte," she wrote about performing as a soprano in the opera also known as The Magic Flute. "I start up my last year of graduate school soon, and I can't wait to see what this crazy year will bring. Here's to more adventures, wherever they may take me!"

THE BAYLOR SPIRIT

Lindsay's adventure began in the small town of Colfax, Washington, and was powerfully shaped by her four years on the campus of Baylor University, where she benefitted from an endowed student scholarship and was a member of the A Cappella Choir.

"I wanted to use college as an avenue to see and experience other places," she said. "A dear family friend who teaches in the Seattle area told me about Baylor because she has had many students attend there and they all loved it."

Lindsay said when she and her parents visited Baylor for an audition and prospective student tour, she knew Waco was where she wanted to go to college. However, the cost of a Baylor degree was a hurdle.

"Somehow Baylor's price tag snuck by my parents until we hit campus. It was agonizing when I fell in love with Baylor but didn't feel it was a possibility due to finances," she said. "Enter the Beckham Endowed Academic Scholarship. What can I say? It was a complete game-changer. It closed the gap and I became a Baylor Bear!"

POSITIONED TO EXCEL

The C. T. "Sparkey" and Merrie Beckham Endowed Academic Scholarship Fund is a testimony to the Beckhams' passion for Baylor's School of Music and for making a difference in the lives of Baylor students. A native of California, Merrie is a proud member of Baylor's Alumni by Choice program, and her husband, C. T. "Sparkey" Beckham '49, is a Dallas businessman and former Baylor regent.

Having earned a bachelor of music in vocal performance from Baylor University in 2017, Lindsay is currently pursuing a Master of Music in vocal performance at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), which is ranked in the top three for opera programs in the nation. Although she has been tested and challenged, Lindsay said her Baylor education equipped her for success.

"I am halfway through my program at CCM and am already planning for what comes next - whether that's a doctorate, a residency program, or something else," she said. "Whatever it may be, I am confident that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will guide and provide for me just as he always has. I continue to be humbled and honored to have had the privilege of attending Baylor University, and it was all made possible because of the scholarships."