Hello, my name is Grace Duhs, and I am a Freshman from San Diego, CA. I am a strategic communication major and plan to minor in the Dodge campus. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the Student Advisory Board for the School of Communication!Choosing Chapman was an easy decision for me. I grew up in California and visited Anaheim about once a month, seeing my family and taking a spontaneous trip to Disneyland occasionally. Chapman University wasn’t on my radar until junior year when I visited it and fell in love with the Communication major itself, and my favorite part was walking into the theater where all are plays and events are held. I am eternally grateful for choosing this school and letting my younger self know that she stressed out too much, and from a young age, she knew she would be a part of the Chapman family.
I wanted to join the Student Advisory Board because I love being a part of my school spirit and organizing events. In my freshman year of high school, I knew I wanted to be a part of the ASB team and hold numerous titles throughout my four years of high school. I remember wanting to do a Tangled theme so severely in my junior year, but I had to wait to plan it for my senior year. When my senior prom came around, I made a Pinterest board, laid out all the props I wanted, and even picked the venue for this perfect Tangled prom. From planning high school dances and pep rallies to giving speeches for ASB, I knew I always had a calling to be a part of something greater than just high school activities.
At the end of my Sophomore year, I knew I wanted to do something with my Alopecia areata instead of just living with this condition; I wanted to experience and help younger girls and boys with this. I devised this idea with my friend: to start a pen pal program and send physical letters from around the world to children struggling with alopecia. My team and I have been doing this for about two years, and we aren’t just sending letters but advocating for this condition, doing little Zoom calls that are Halloween or Christmas theme. When I started this program, I wanted to bring joy to kids, and seeing their faces light up on the screen when they see their mentor brings me so much joy.
When I heard about the Student Advisory board, I knew I had to apply because I wanted to join a community again and help give back to Chapman in any way I could.
In my free time, I love reading my rom-com books while sipping a Chai tea latte, going on early morning runs while listening to musical theater or podcasts, and if I feel adventurous, I might just go to Disneyland to catch a few rides before the day ends!
I am so grateful to join this board. Please don’t hesitate to contact me!
I can best be reached through my email: duhs@chapman.edu