Like any comedic genius, longtime performer Carol Burnett understands the importance of good timing – and has made a notable donation in support of arts education at a time when both the arts and education are in dire need of assistance.
The star of stage and screen launched an endowment (for an undisclosed sum) that will provide scholarships for selected students at the UCLA School of Theater, Variety magazine exclusively reported. In addition, she donated all of the awards she accumulated over her decades-long career – over 140 honors, in all.
Those include several Emmys, Golden Globes and Peabody Awards, as well as a Grammy, a Tony, a Kennedy Center Honor and a Presidential Medial of Freedom.
But the centerpiece of her sizable gift is the creation of the Carol Burnett Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship in Music Theater. “I am so pleased that … students will be given an opportunity akin to what UCLA gave me when I enrolled fresh out of high school,” Burnett said in a statement to Variety. “I found my true passion at UCLA, and in this scholarship lies the hope that it will do the same for many others for many years to come.”
The school’s dean, Celine Parreñas Shimizu, added that Burnett’s gifts, and the opportunities they will create, feel aligned with who the actress is. “She created new paths every time something blocked her way. She created new forms within the industry for herself and others to thrive.”
At present, such new paths are needed, as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to gut arts programs and education systems alike – when not asserting control over them, as in the case with the Kennedy Center
The first beneficiary will be Alexa Cruz, a first-year theater major, who told Variety that she was “humbled” by the distinction. “As a first-generation college student, this scholarship will help me pursue my dreams of becoming an actress and make my goals feel more attainable,” she said. “This financial assistance will greatly support my educational expenses.”
