Grace Griego has big dreams of being on Broadway, and her journey to achieve them began long ago.

Grace began acting when she was in kindergarten, and the story of her first acting workshop is a funny anecdote, as she didn’t realize she was going to participate in an acting workshop. Grace thought she was going to be woodworking in a carpentry workshop.

And, at six years old, Grace was more than disappointed with the reality of the workshop. She abhorred acting, because, as she announced, “I was super shy. I hated being onstage because everyone was looking at me.” Practices might have been awful, and the thought of performing scary, but as she stepped out into the spotlight (in a hastily put-on half-bumblebee, half-elephant costume) and said her line, Grace felt her typical timidness crumble away. Her fears of performing in front of people were nothing compared to actually acting, and Grace was hooked. Looking back on her first play, Grace knows that “acting helped [her] break out of [her]shell, and make [her] the person [she is] today.”

In fact, her experiences in acting have led her to know exactly the kind of person she wants to be tomorrow as well. Grace aspires to become an actress and playwright on Broadway, but to reach her dream, she has to put in a tremendous amount of work, and balance that with outside hobbies, clubs, and other extracurricular activities. Evidently, Grace’s shyness has faded, as she is now a member of theater club, Interact, Hugs club, and CSF. Grace also acts with Playhouse 395, and has started her own creative writing group at the high school. But wait, there’s more – Grace also is a varsity discuss and shotput thrower on the school track and field team and is a girl scout of the highest caliber meanwhile working at Spellbinder Books on the weekend. On top of all of this, Grace is an Honor Roll student, with some of the best grades at BUHS.

Everyone who knows Grace Griego knows she has “no room to breathe,” a common quote she often utters. When asked about how she handles the crippling stress that comes with all of these activities, Grace admitted that she “didn’t at the beginning of the year.” But after visiting a helpful therapist, Grace has realized that she has to “focus on the bigger picture. Not just one assignment.” Grace’s advice for anyone struggling with hard work and big dreams is to imagine what a typical day would be like in her dream career. This technique helps Grace to cruise through cramped schedules and overwhelming stress, because the visualization of her future reminds her of how happy she will be having a job she loves.

“When the going gets tough, I have to remember, ‘what is this all for?’ It’s for achieving my dreams,” Grace announced. Grace’s journey has taught her to break out of her shell, work harder than what was thought humanly possible, and to strive to attain her dreams of becoming an actress and writer. From facing fears to defeating stress, Grace Griego is on the path to success.