Mayte Sarmiento ’26
Scholarship Recipient
Why Smith?
I came to Smith because of the open curriculum. I wanted to study theater, but I also wanted to learn languages, social sciences, and history. At Smith, I am able to do all of that while still pursuing my career.
What has financial aid meant to you?
Thanks to financial aid, I can pursue my passions and expand my curiosity.
What does being a Smithie mean to you?
It’s being part of a group of people who are smart, talented, creative, and kind. I admire and learn from my fellow Smithies daily. In my calculus class, I’m surrounded by future doctors, dancers, engineers, actors, and teachers. In my theater classes, everyone has a niche—some know a lot of Shakespeare, or musicals, or Greek tragedies, or Latinx drama. Smith puts a lot of trust in their students and gives them the tools to succeed. It’s amazing.
What are your post-graduation goals?
I plan to double major in theater and economics. I want to be an actress, but I also want the tools to create something that will help fellow artists. I come from Chile, where opportunities to go to the theater are extremely limited and often inaccessible. I would like to change that. Economics gives me the financial and political knowledge I need to make change happen.
What is your favorite thing at Smith?
The people. All my professors and classmates have been outstanding, open-minded, intelligent, and kind. Also, I am constantly impressed by the care and love that Smith puts into the arts, especially theater.
What accomplishment at Smith are you proud of?
My theater work. I have been part of two student productions: Measure for Measure and She Kills Monsters. I am part of a short film by Paola Roach called The Winged Detectives. I was in the Theatre Department production of La Ruta, and I am currently working on the play Everybody. I am also shooting a short film!
What do you love most about theater?
The feeling of pride when I see everyone in the cast and production team doing their best and enjoying the process—and how we all learn together.
“You give us a chance to pursue our goals in a place full of resources—resources I could never have dreamed of in my country. There are so many opportunities for which I am grateful.”
What role has stretched you?
In La Ruta, I played Yolanda, based on a real mom whose daughter goes missing. We told the painful story of the missing women in Juárez, Mexico. Character construction took me months, and before every show, I would prep for about three hours. I had to let myself go completely in order to get into Yolanda’s life. I changed my voice to sound older, changed my accent, and even my posture. I will always carry Yolanda in my heart. She taught me so much. I hope I did some justice to her story in return.
Who has had the most impact on you?
My mom. She is the funniest, kindest, and most caring person I know. She’s worked full time since she was eighteen years old, and at the same time, she raised me and my two sisters. I am grateful for her every day.
What’s a little-known fact about you?
I am a nail artist. I am not very good at drawing or painting on canvas, but I love to do it on nails. My favorite design was my version of the Marilyn Diptych by Andy Warhol.
What would you say to a donor about supporting financial aid?
You give us a chance to pursue our goals in a place full of resources—resources I could never have dreamed of in my country. There are so many opportunities for which I am grateful. We all have worked hard to get here, but financial aid makes it possible.
Tell us your story about financial aid.
Contact Us
To make an endowed gift or to learn more about supporting financial aid at Smith, please contact Betsy Carpenter ’93, associate vice president for development, at 413-585-2052 or ewcarpen@smith.edu.