Creating Space

My name is Gracie Holder, and I am a junior undergraduate student at Southern Methodist University, double-majoring in English and Nonprofit Arts Management with a minor in Spanish.

During my time at SMU, I have been involved in several organizations such as serving on the Dedman College of Humanities & Sciences Advisory Board (English Department Student representative), volunteering for the Engage Dallas leadership and community service program with Reading Programs for developing child literacy skills, working as a Spiritual Life Mentor Peer Leader on campus in the Office of the Chaplain and Religious Life, and being a marketing intern at the Meadows Meadows of the Custard Institute for Spanish Art and Culture. However, out of all of my extra-curricular and work endeavors, one of the greatest accomplishments I take pride in is not rested in my GPA or plethora of resumatorial experience, but with my membership to the Rotunda Scholars Program. In Fall of 2021, I entered college as a naive, scared 19 year old from rural Oklahoma, unsure of who I was and who I would be. Through the mentorship in the Rotunda Scholars Program, namely from Nikole Melgarejo, that I started to learn more of who this might be.

After my freshman year, I fell in love with the program so much that I decided to work for it. From my sophomore year of fall 2022 to spring of 2023, I worked as a Peer Academic Counselor, mentoring fellow college freshmen to help navigate their academic, social, and personal goals like I had the privilege to have the year prior.

A year later, I had an even greater honor of transitioning to a more administrative role to a Co-Coordinator, managing the student-workers as well as planning and programming scholar engagement events on a larger scale such as community dinners. Through my experience in Rotunda, I can see there has been a trace of realizing and understanding who I am. So much so that in December of 2022, in the midst of being a full-time student and part time worker, I decided to create some space. This led to me founding a nonprofit, my business: A Graceful Space. A Graceful Space is an online platform that advocates and fosters grace, self-expression, and thoughtful reflection through promoted site targeted marketing, writing and producing my own content, facilitating guest contributions including published authors, professors, peers, and professionals, and editing their work. A Graceful Space’s mission statement: “Always Striving to Life with Grace” can be found on the logo, seeking to combat toxic media space and instead enjoy a graceful space. The vision statement, “Write Your Own Story” can be seen on exclusive merchandise to show readers that A Graceful Space is just a vehicle to people authoring their own thoughts, words, and stories as they are their own authentic experiences. It is with immense joy & gratitude that I write to you today, celebrating not only my third year at SMU, but also on the eve of the one-year anniversary of A Graceful Space.

It feels like just yesterday when this blog was born out of a passion for sharing & connecting with the world. I embarked on this journey with a vision to create a platform that celebrates the beauty of life & encourages personal growth & positivity. Little did I know how wonderfully fulfilling & inspiring this experience would become. A Graceful Space became more than just a blog; it's a testament to the power of unity, compassion, & the pursuit of living our best lives in a world that is unfortunately filled with more bitterness rather than grace.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to each one of you for being a part of my beautiful journey. As we step into the future, rest assured that all of us will continue to evolve through meaningful discussions, & a nurturing environment to flourish & thrive. I hope you all find through my story and by creating space, that you continue to spread kindness, positivity, & grace as we move ahead into the future. Visit agracefulspace.online for more updates.

xo, Gracie ♡