October 16th- Grace and Linda

“Grace Strobel is an inspirational 23 yr. old model and speaker with Down syndrome. She has been featured in 9 different magazines and newspaper articles, has been interviewed on TV and radio, walked the Winter Walk Fashion Show and the runway in Atlantic City Fashion Week for OlaStyle. And was featured on THE TODAY SHOW on October 14, 2019.

She volunteers hundreds of hours speaking to students and other groups about kindness, respect, overcoming obstacles and one’s own worth.

It takes courage to change hearts and minds especially after being made fun of, but that is what Grace is doing- one school, one student, one photo at a time.  She wanted to make a difference and is doing that with #TheGraceEffect, a presentation she gives to help students understand things that are often hard to talk about.  Grace has spoken to well over 3,000 students in the St. Louis area.

After experiencing bullying in such a personal way, she made a decision to start working toward changing perceptions of people with disabilities. She challenges students to look beyond what they see and seek kindness, respect and dignity for all individuals.

Grace hopes that these new opportunities will not only launch her career further but will raise awareness and shift people’s attitudes of what is possible for someone with a disability.

Although Strobel has already broken headlines, she continues to break stereotypes in her profession. By using herself as a personal example, she shines a light on how important it is to embrace diversity.”

GiGi’s Playhouse Fox Valley connected with Grace and Linda while planning our Fashion Show.  Grace was going to be a guest speaker, but she had the Today Show interview on the same day!  Congratulations on all your accomplishments, Grace, and we hope to meet you soon!

Today Show link:

https://www.today.com/video/model-with-down-syndrome-is-breaking-barriers-in-fashion-71220293607