Meet Mary Grace!
Mary Grace is a junior in high school and loves being the Junior Officer of her school’s theater program and performing in all of its plays and musicals! She was nominated for a Basie award for her performance as an Angel in the musical Anything Goes. She also enjoys sharing her public speaking abilities by taking part in high school forensics competitions, where she recites speeches and excerpts from books. She started a Public Speaking and Debate club at her high school so she can share her passion with others! When she is not on stage, she enjoys surfing on her school's varsity team and competing in statewide competitions. She recently placed in the top five at NSSA and earned her school’s Rookie of the Year Award. She hopes that her Shy to Shine blog will inspire others to pursue their passions with confidence.
Shy to Shine's Professional Mentor
Sara Bakker
Sara Bakker has been a senior facilitator at the NYC-based executive communication skills firm Exec|Comm for the past 17 years. She specializes in private coaching and helping executives define their brand as leaders. Sara helps prepare her clients for speaking engagements and leadership meetings. She has traveled across the United States and internationally to deliver programs on presenting skills, understanding communication styles, and client dynamics. Her unique skill set as a former actress allows her to work with clients on managing nerves while public speaking, breath control and support, articulation, accent clarity, and developing a dynamic physical presence. She values helping people communicate authentically and clearly with messages that matter.
Before joining Exec|Comm in 2006, Sara was an educator and actor for the Utah Shakespearean Festival. She held lead roles at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, the American Repertory Theater in Boston, the Denver Center, the Pioneer Theater in Salt Lake City, among others and also appeared on Law and Order and the Dick Wolf-produced show Conviction. She toured internationally, performed Off-Broadway and regionally and in feature films.
Sara has volunteered as a Girl Scout leader (4 years), Deacon at her church (3 years), public speaking coach to teens and women re-entering the workforce (current). She also helps young ministers at the Yale Divinity School prepare for their lives behind the pulpit by giving them public speaking feedback.
Sara received her B.A. from Yale University and M.F.A. in Acting from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children.