The Art of Giving Back

Kathy Maes weaves passion for education and the arts into a new Theatre & Dance scholarship

As an alumna and former faculty member, Kathy Maes considers her time at West Virginia University the foundation of her success as a vocal coach. To pay it forward, Maes decided to make a planned gift supporting students in the School of Theatre & Dance.

“My first four years as an undergraduate at WVU changed my life,” she said. “I never looked at the world the same way again.”

Maes began her journey at WVU in 1963, studying theatre, speech, education, and biology. To some, this combination of subjects may seem unconventional, but it gave Maes the right skillset for a career as a vocal coach.

After graduation, Maes returned to WVU for a master’s degree in theatre, and eventually found her way back to the School of Theatre & Dance, this time as a teacher. She taught new generations of artists, and further deepened her Mountaineer pride.

Maes’ career would weave together her passion for education with her love of the performing arts. It would also take her all over the country—and even abroad for a year at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London.

After spending time working at the University of Illinois, Maes moved back into the arts world as the voice coach for the Denver Center for Performing Arts. She then finished her career in education with positions in the arts department at the University of Colorado, then as an associate dean at Regis University.

It’s no surprise that an arts lover as Maes would not be able to stay away for long: after “retiring,” she then spent another decade back at the Denver Center, lending her expertise to enrich countless shows.

Thanks to working within higher education, Maes understands the challenges faced by students looking to further their schooling.

“I know firsthand the value of education,” Maes said. “But I also know the cost and how incredibly difficult it can be for students to cover those costs.”

“As an out-of-state student in the 60s, my tuition was $412 a semester,” Maes said. “The cost of education has gotten so expensive.”

Maes hopes to alleviate some of that stress by using her planned gift to endow a scholarship so that talented WVU students won’t have to worry about the financial aspect of attending college.

“The students I worked with at WVU were some of the most talented kids I've ever worked with,” Maes said. “I just feel that WVU has the best arts program I’ve dealt with in my entire life and those students interested in attending should have the opportunity. WVU is very special to me, and I hope they’ll value being there as much as I did.”

To join Kathy and countless others in creating your own legacy of support at WVU, contact Matthew Clark at 304-284-4033 or plannedgiving@wvuf.org to begin the conversation.