Students from spoken word and hip-hop communities have the opportunity to participate in a unique program that offers financial aid throughout their college careers.

The First Wave scholarship program was initially introduced at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007. It is designed to be a hybrid of arts, academia and activism, according to a Jan. 12 online article by USA Today.

Though there are similar programs at other schools, First Wave is the only program of its kind that teaches students about hip-hop arts and theater, according to the article.

‘We really invite them to combine academics and art,’ said Adey Assefa, assistant director and academic adviser at the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives at UW-Madison. ‘When they come to campus they’re taking classes in art and tying these classes into academics.’

Students can apply to be a part of the First Wave program before their freshman or sophomore years of college. In addition to materials such as standardized test scores and letters of recommendation, students submit samples of their artistic work, such as audition videos, songs or design pieces for consideration when applying, according to the USA Today article.

First Wave participants are required to attend the Summer College Experience program before their freshman year of college. The Summer College Experience program is designed to help students successfully transition to college and become acclimated to life at UW-Madison. While attending the program, students enroll in three classes and experience a number of different cultural activities.

After arriving in Madison for their freshman year, students in the program all live together in a campus residence hall, according the First Wave website.

‘The students really get to know each other in the freshman interest group,’ Assefa said. ‘It’s very small and intimate, and they really get to know each other that first semester.’

The First Wave program partially dictates classes that students are able to take once they begin their college careers at UW-Madison. Students select their own majors to fit their personal interests, according to the website.

Students’ sophomore and junior years are relatively relaxed in terms of First Wave course requirements. The program encourages students to study abroad and can travel with the First Wave Hip-Hop Theater Ensemble to local and international locations. The program concludes senior year, when students complete a capstone seminar and senior arts project, according to the website.

‘The students are phenomenal,’ Assefa said. ‘A lot of them come from places where college wasn’t the No. 1 priority. They use their voice to perform and be leaders.’

The program prides itself on being diverse and multicultural, Assefa said. The program goes beyond allowing students to be artists or members of First Wave. It allows them to be true Wisconsin Badgers, she said.

Students must have a 3.0 GPA to maintain their scholarships, which can range all the way up to a full tuition scholarship, according to the USA Today article.

First Wave students, who vary from budding actors and emcees, to inspiring song-writers, Assefa said, also have multiple opportunities per year to showcase their talents. Highlighted events include a Passing the Mic Spoken Word Showcase, according to First Wave’s website.

‘First Wave students are some of the most creative artists that I’ve seen in the country, in the world even. It’s a really tight-knit group of people that are here to get better as artist but also to succeed academically,’ Danez Smith, a member of the program’s inaugural class and First Wave student liaison, said in the USA Today article.

‘Having a small community within a big school like UW really helps me stay focused on my studies,’ said Kelsey Van Ert, a First Wave student, on the program’s website.

‘And since we’re all artists, we vibe with each other really naturally.’

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Published on January 25, 2012 at 12:00 pm

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