Grace Broome

Background

About Grace Broome

I never imagined that ducks would significantly shape who I’ve become—they just seemed too simple to teach profound lessons. In high school, I watched a documentary about Indian Runner ducks in South Africa, where they helped farmers by eating snails that threatened their vineyards. That film taught me something powerful: natural solutions often exist for big problems, and local communities’ methods can address global environmental challenges. It sparked my journey to not only study cultures but also learn from them. Social scientists say humans are inherently social, much like the ducks working together to solve a problem. As president of the Youth Fund of the Community Foundation of Lorain County during high school, I led a diverse group of students in supporting local organizations through service-learning grants. We organized annual summits on mental health and community involvement, discovering the value of teamwork and collaboration. In college, I pursued International Studies and lived with roommates from Cambodia and China. We bonded over food, our shared language. Between dried squid and Skittles, we discussed sustainable protein sources like insects and reflected on the cultural significance of what we ate. My love for languages deepened as I picked up Khmer and Mandarin words from my roommates. This passion carried over into my formal studies, and I later served as a TA for introductory German. Teaching German helped me appreciate the depth of communication and how I could support others on their language-learning journeys. I’m always excited to share how ducks made a difference in my life. I can't speak Duck, but if I could, I’d thank them for shaping me into someone who’s open, receptive, and flexible in how I connect with others.