Article in Forbes Magzine
The day Grace won, Tim Mauer, who writes about personal fiance for Forbes, published a short piece about Grace, titled "What A 12-Year-Old Ukulele Player Teaches Us About Authenticity In Our Work". "I’m not a music writer. My specialty is personal finance, of which career is a primary component. I don’t watch reality television contests, [but] on our way to another channel, my family stumbled on America’s Got Talent a few months ago just in time to see one of my favorite instruments—the ukulele—adorning the neck of a diminutive blond girl. … By the end, I’m visibly crying. Everyone loves her, the judges anointing her with instant superstardom. She, in turn, is shocked, overwhelmed that she put every bit of herself out there for the world to see—and the world embraced her. … Without an ounce of pretension, but with conviction in who she is and what she does, she brought the house down. 'On paper,' her voice couldn’t compete with the virtuoso opera singer. She didn’t have an ounce of the showmanship of the Sinatra protégé, and she was clearly the least experienced of the entire field. But she was easily the most comfortable in her own skin. She seemed to need the praise least of all. “I’m just glad it’s over,” she said in response to the standing ovation. For the first (and likely last) time, I actually got on my phone to vote for a reality show contestant." (He then proceeds to list what Grace could teach us about making the most of our pursuits, passions, and professions)
