Alumna Profile: Gretchen Conyers ’10

Finding Life’s Color

Gretchen Conyers ’10

One does not have to look far to find pink sand beaches, turquoise waters, and pastel homes in Bermuda. But for Gretchen Conyers ’10, who grew up on the island, the right resources to support her learning differences were hard to come by as a young student.

Gretchen was diagnosed with ADHD when she was eight years old. She liked the social aspect of school and was motivated to learn and do well but faced obstacles in the classroom.

“I had many tutors. I was sometimes hard to deal with and hard to understand. I also did not feel that anyone could relate to me or understand me. There were a lot of impulsivities,” she says.

As she got older, Gretchen started realizing she learned differently than other students in her class. With that, she started to explore other options, including boarding schools. Her family connected with a specialist who added Forman School to a list of options that might be a good fit, and it was.

“I remember going to the [Forman] campus, and it just felt right,” she says. “Everything about it felt exciting and new.”

She says getting accepted to Forman boosted her confidence. At just 14 years old, she was prepared to move to a new country and have a fresh start. She says, “I remember being in the car and my mom said, ‘this is the moment for you to be whoever you want to be.’”

When Gretchen attended Forman, there were only about 30 students in her class, and she quickly realized that Bermuda’s culture was a little different from that of Connecticut’s.

“It was a trend to have cartoon backpacks in Bermuda, so I had this pink Tinkerbell backpack,” she says, laughing at the memory. “I definitely stood out for sure [but] I wanted to be there 100% and just saw everything as new.”

Thinking back to her time at Forman brings up many emotions for Gretchen, as it provided her the strong foundation on which she has built her life.

“Forman really allowed me to find people who I could relate to, shift my perspective on life, and truly take a shot at myself and learn who I am and how I need to learn,” she says. “Forman is a special place because there are a lot of kids who go there that feel misunderstood and so disconnected

“Once you believe in yourself, everyone else will.”

and so frustrated. So, when you’re together with others that feel that way, it’s a second chance, you say ‘wait, I’m not alone in this,’ and you can have fun while being supported and guided by houseparents and teachers.”

American history was new to Gretchen at Forman, but that did not stop her from setting an audacious goal to qualify to enroll in AP History. She worked closely with former History Teacher Karen Yoga, who provided her with an outline of what she needed to do to reach her goal.

“She believed in me, and I got there,” Gretchen says. “I was also part of Model UN. It was such a milestone in that you can truly achieve the dreams you want.”

Gretchen says Ms. Yoga was one of many teachers at Forman who helped shape her into the person she is today.

“When I was at Forman, I finally was given a foundation to grow and truly learn who I am and who I want to be,”

she says. “I had this opportunity to take chances that typically in another environment, I wouldn’t; I would be clouded in fear or judgment or have feelings that I wasn’t good enough.”

Gretchen studied communications and religion at St. Lawrence University in New York. There, she experienced another culture shock and struggled at first to adjust to the new academic environment. The grading system and classroom atmosphere were different than Forman’s, but she was equipped with the right tools to advocate for herself.

“I was so set up for success from Forman. I knew how to connect with my teachers and show them the dedication and motivation that I had,” she says. She went on to earn a GPA high enough to join the Tri Delta sorority and become its membership development chair in her senior year.

After college, Gretchen moved home to Bermuda and worked for Gibbons Company, the island’s largest department store. However, she headed back to Connecticut after receiving a job opportunity at Forman. As the Alumni Programs Associate, Gretchen helped organize photoshoots, plan school events, and promote giving initiatives.

“It was a lucky star that I got the opportunity to work at Forman,” she says. “I feel like I’ve taken all of the things I learned there and incorporated them into my dream job.”

That dream job is Gretchen’s company, GGC World, which helps build a community through art, retail projects, creative workshops, experiences, and networking opportunities.

“I never saw myself as an artist. I didn’t even think I was privileged enough to go into a store and get paint, canvas, and paintbrushes,” she says. Once she eventually picked up a paintbrush, her world changed, and painting became her tool to mediate.

“I found my love for art … everyone has an artist within them,” she adds. “It’s one of my missions to help people understand that art is everywhere, art is everything. If you can just quiet that inner critic and let yourself explore with a paintbrush and paint, you will be shocked with what you can do.”

Gretchen also finds healing in painting. Life brought Gretchen to Chicago for a short time, but after a traumatic loss of a friend, she says she suddenly saw the world as black and white; it lost its color. She returned to Bermuda to work at Gibbons Company. Despite being successful at her job, she knew she needed to find her spark again. She traveled around Europe and Southeast Asia for two months, then made significant life changes, including quitting her job one week before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. While the pandemic put a pause on life, Gretchen took time to reflect – and paint.

“I painted all day, every day,” she says. “I did a course, Manifestation Babe, that taught me all about manifestation, taught me about how to attract the dream life, and I read The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron. And I was able to see life with color, life in a vibrant way again.”

Gretchen started transforming her abstract paintings into products, including puzzles, coasters, calendars, journals, and wrapping paper. She now shares her art process through teambuilding sessions, experiences, and oneon-one workshops in the community.

“GGC World represents my world. I am sharing my world with you. I want nothing more than for you to leave working with me feeling amazing and uplifted and witnessing your dreams coming to life,” she says.

Gretchen says her company will continue to evolve, and she is excited about its future. Reflecting on her own evolution so far, she encourages others to trust life’s process.

“Embrace the unknown … When you really acknowledge what lights you up and what doesn’t light you up, what doesn’t make you feel good, those are your little answers on your pathway of where you should be guided to, and it will all work out,” she says. “Once you believe in yourself, everyone else will.”

To connect with Gretchen and learn more about GGC World, visit ggcworldx.com/shop/.

Pieces from Gretchen’s Wildflower Collection, created in 2021, on display at the Lazy Corner Art Gallery in Bermuda