It wasn't your ordinary gala.
When some 250 guests arrived at Texas Woman’s University’s Dream Makers Soirée on Oct. 24, they stepped onto a maroon carpet and into an evening designed not just to celebrate donors, but to help illuminate what their generosity is making possible.
Held at the Student Union at Hubbard Hall on TWU’s Denton campus, the event marked the final stretch of Dream Big, the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign in its 125-year history. Originally launched with a $125 million goal, the campaign had raised $195 million by the evening of the soirée, including a surprise $2 million matching gift made just before the event began. But the evening's most memorable moments weren't just about the numbers.
Welcomed by music ensembles, soirée guests began with a stop at a champagne wall before making their way down a dramatically draped hallway into a space that felt more like a multimedia museum than a ballroom. Around every corner was another discovery, each illustrating a different dimension of TWU’s academic programs, research, athletics and student support initiatives.
Visitors encountered high-tech patient simulators used in TWU’s nationally recognized nursing and allied health programs, along with equipment used in university clinics to help patients improve their mobility. An immersive presentation followed the journey of a young patient navigating complex health challenges with support from TWU’s community-facing clinics.
Elsewhere, an athletics-themed locker display packed with Pioneer memorabilia proved a popular stop, while a digital airplane representing TWU’s Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences appeared to fly overhead. Students demonstrated the university’s award-winning wearable NASA technology, and an interactive display introduced guests to Minerva’s Market, the university’s free student food pantry.
A miniature theater featuring student thesis and mini-TED talks was an unexpected hit, drawing guests into the ideas and discoveries taking place every day at TWU, which achieved Carnegie R2 research status last year.
The creativity continued over dinner, with performances by TWU’s mariachi ensemble, the university dance team, and theater and music students performing Broadway favorites. A style show featuring nearly 40 models showcased the talents of TWU’s fashion program, while fashion students also put their artistic skills to work creating personalized drawings for guests to take home as keepsakes.
The evening also provided an opportunity to recognize the people behind the campaign’s success. To kick off the program, TWU Chancellor and President Dr. Carine M. Feyten honored leading donors and also recognized TWU Dallas President Christopher Johnson and TWU Houston President Dr. Monica Williams.
Three speakers—TWU Provost Dr. Angela Bauer, student Ligia Souto, and Amy O’Keefe, executive director of the university’s Campus Alliance for Resource Education—offered insight about the campaign’s focus areas: Open Doors, Fuel Innovation and Cultivate Grit. Together, those initiatives are expanding access to student experiences, supporting academic innovation and helping students overcome obstacles on their paths to graduation and careers.
Feyten also highlighted the university’s growing national profile, including a recent The Wall Street Journal ranking that placed Texas Woman’s No. 2 among universities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“Texas Woman’s is becoming a stronger, more ambitious university,” Feyten told guests. “We are expanding opportunities for students, strengthening our academic programs, increasing our research capacity, and investing in our campuses and facilities. In other words, we are turning dreams into reality.”
She also had a new number to share. “When we launched the campaign, we set a goal of $125 million to mark our 125th anniversary,” Feyten said. “It was a big goal. Then we passed it. And kept going.”
More than 19,000 donors have helped make the Dream Big campaign a historic success even before the final dollar has been counted. But Feyten challenged supporters to dream even bigger.
“Now there is a new number on the scoreboard: $200 million,” she said. “We are going to keep going through December 31. And I hope everyone in this room will help us get across that finish line.”
Following dinner, guests took to the dance floor to the sounds of the Ice House Band, a popular Dallas-Fort Worth party band. As a parting gift, guests received a print and notecards featuring a painting celebrating all things TWU, created by TWU design team member Alem de la Cruz. One final visual treat awaited as they made their way to valet parking: a dramatic, illuminated view of Dreams, a new permanent installation of three large-scale sculptures by artist Bianca Beck, who attended the soirée. Commissioned to honor the Dream Big campaign and the donors who made it possible, the artwork provided a fitting final image for an evening devoted to impact and imagination.
For those inspired to help TWU reach its $200 million goal before the campaign concludes Dec. 31, contributions can be made at dreambig.twu.edu.