From Broadway to a Communications Degree

It was March 13, 2020, in sunny Los Angeles. I was in my dorm with my best friend, Karina, when we both received an email from our acting school saying we were going on a two-week break because of something called COVID-19.

We were aware that something was happening in the world around us but we didn’t think it was bad until that moment. After calling my mom, she said pack as much as you can, you’re coming home. So I packed my stuff and said my goodbyes, and “I’ll see you in two weeks!” Little did I know that was the last I’d see them in person.

Once I arrived home, everything moved quickly – lockdowns, quarantine, the whole nine yards. I was thankful mom booked me a flight home when she did because LA went into a total lockdown not long after my departure.

After two weeks, we started doing Zoom classes. As a student in musical theatre, you can imagine how disastrous those last few months of school were. I mean, singing on Zoom? Not ideal.

Once summer began I started having thoughts of quitting school. I was ashamed of these thoughts at first because my dream since I was 11 had been one thing. Broadway.

However, that is exactly what it was, 11-year-old Grace’s dream. I confided to my parents that I was having these thoughts of leaving my old dream and changing directions and they agreed if it was what I wanted, I needed to do it.

I knew the entertainment industry was hard enough to get into but now everything with COVID and all these restrictions it seems so much harder. I knew if I was having these feelings now, why would I waste more money and effort on something I was 100% sure about?

I then took a gap year and worked at Dutch Bros. I learned who I was outside of the dreams I’d been carrying around for the last ten years. At that point in my life, I’d never been out of school like this so I was able to live my life in a way I couldn’t before. I was able to go explore places I’ve always wanted and meet new people every day. During that time I became a more outgoing and adventurous person.

I thought of my passions prior to Broadway and it stuck out to me immediately. When I was 5 years old I battled acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but thanks to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, I'm still here. I then saw my future career right in front of me. Working for them. I always knew no matter what my career was I would be helping St. Jude. Whether it be physically helping them or raising/donating money.

When going through my treatments it was just my mom, brother, and his girlfriend that were there constantly. I can’t say I remember too much of my treatments but I do remember my experience. The positivity radiating off the nurses, playing games with my family, and the coldness I felt from the IV’s sometimes.

I have attended many St. Jude events over the years: radio-a-thons, walk-a-thons, truly any event ending with an “a-thon” and for St. Jude. I have attended a radio-a-thon here in Albany every year since my diagnosis. They always have the hosts of the station and the St. Jude representative that keeps track of the money and donors and sets new goals every hour. That representative is who I want to be. They get to put together all these events and travel around the state just for St. Jude and raise money.

Growing up I made it my life mission to raise money for them and do everything in my power to help them save more kids. It puzzled me that I didn’t see my true passion was right in front of me my whole life.

In a way, I am grateful that COVID happened when it did. It opened my eyes to a whole new world for myself.

After my gap year, I enrolled at LBCC to pursue a degree in communications so I can work for St. Jude and its fundraising department.

I know this is what I’m meant to do because I am performing better than I did at every school before. I do my homework, study for tests, and get better grades. I truly believe that I was saved so that I can help save other kids.