Announcer: 0:04

Welcome to the Creative College Journey podcast, the place to help raise awareness on the many pathways to a creative life and education and how college might be a part of it, because it's not where you go to school, but how you go to school that counts. Hosted by professional, creative, and college expert Scott Barnhardt, who is chatting with a variety of guests who have some amazing lived experiences from different universities, majors and creative industry interests. And we hope by hearing their stories, it might help give you some inspiration to find your own Creative College Journey.

Scott Barnhardt: 0:45

I am thrilled to welcome my next guest today. This is someone I've known a few years through the work of my husband, voiceover actor, JP Karlak. And what I've learned is voiceover is a fascinating world in this industry. is filled with actors who are incredibly nuanced, wide ranging, and these like crazy technical performances. And my next guest, Grace Lu, is no exception to that. Grace Lu is a graduate of Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, California, and is currently a rising sophomore at UCLA Go Bruins studying psychology. And while a full-time student, grace has also been navigating a robust and full professional life in both on camera and voiceover capacities. Here in Los Angeles, Grace is currently a recurring role, the role of Megan in bunked on Disney Channel, and it was recently announced that Grace is the voice of shining glitter cookie on the video game Cookie Run: Kingdom What a name. Shining glitter Cookie Magic Grace can also be heard on Transformers Earthspark, Madagascar: a little wild and Legends of Runtera. Onscreen Grace has been seen in Sydney to the Max, Side hustle and thrilling to my musical theater nerddom, can be seen in the You will Be Found Montage in the film. Dear Evan Hansen, come on. and there's also a few video game and animation projects in the works that Grace is super excited about and can't wait to share, like some. Incredible opportunities coming forward. Keep an eye out for this name, you guys. And Grace has always loved anything artistic and can be found, drawing, creative writing, mostly poetry, songwriting, and singing or jamming out with Grace's brother. What's your brother's name?

Grace Lu: 2:38

Nathan.

Scott Barnhardt: 2:39

Nathan Rock On Nathan. Learning about environmental issues and scientific discoveries are also super important to grace and advocating for more diverse and inclusive education is also a big, big passion. I am so impressed with a young, professional actor like Grace, who continually balances the many pressures of a full tilt adult professional work life with the developmental and exploratory experiences of college showing us all. There is no one way to approach a life as a student and an actor. With that, please welcome to the podcast Grace Lu. Hi, grace.

Grace Lu: 3:16

Hi, Scott.

Scott Barnhardt: 3:18

I'm so excited to chat with you and see you. You are just a ball of delight.

Grace Lu: 3:22

I am obsessed with you. This is so exciting for me.

Scott Barnhardt: 3:25

Um, so give us a little update. How are you doing? Where are you right now? I know it's summer you just finished your first year at UCLA. Like how are you actually right now?

Grace Lu: 3:36

you know, I'm, I'm doing pretty good. I think the, the stresses of. Everything that's compounding right now, society-wise, the strikes, they're a little bit insane.

Scott Barnhardt: 3:50

Yeah, there's a lot of uncertainty in our industry, and I'm sure coming straight off of a, you know, one year of really intense work, both as an actor and student, it's a lot.

Grace Lu: 4:05

it's um, it's a lot to catch up from,

Scott Barnhardt: 4:08

Are you finding that you're able to catch up right now? Like, are you, are you finding moments to like breathe and, and chill out and, and be an 18, 19 year old?

Grace Lu: 4:18

you know, that is a very good question. I feel like now that I'm off of school, I'm diving more headfirst into my career again and trying to prep for when I go back to school. So it's kinda, the grind never stops.

Scott Barnhardt: 4:34

a vicious cycle. It's a vicious cycle and it's a, a learned learned skill that I hope, I hope, throughout the rest of the summer and being on the uc system, you start a little bit later, um, I hope like in this August September moment, you might be able to get a little, a little downtime for

Grace Lu: 4:53

in. Yeah.

Scott Barnhardt: 4:53

Yeah, a little breathing. I also ask everyone, how do you identify creatively? Like what, what creativity do you put out into the world? Grace?

Grace Lu: 5:04

I feel like I would describe what I, what I like aspire to do, at least as, just like broadly being like a storyteller.'cause there's so many ways to do it and so many avenues that I love to explore it in. Whether it's like drawing or writing or just like, Singing, like so many, there's musical theater. Oh my gosh. Like you can do so many things with the, the medium of just story. It's beautiful. I'm sorry. I'm like,

Scott Barnhardt: 5:36

Oh, nerd out, nerd out about storytelling all day every day. Grace

Grace Lu: 5:40

I love it. I could do it for the rest of my life. I could watch it, read it, listen to it.

Scott Barnhardt: 5:45

storyteller, grace Lu. Oh my. There's your website there. There it is.

Grace Lu: 5:50

Is that too cheesy?

Scott Barnhardt: 5:52

it's perfect. And I love it. I, I can't wait to chat a little more about how you apply that to the many facets of your life and your, your studies. cause I think it's actually a really great connector with the many things that you do. Let's send a little love about UCLA. Um, I graduated there in 2017 where I got my master's in playwriting in the school of, uh, theater, film and television, TFT. But you're actually there despite being a professional actor. You're there in the department of psychology, you're getting your bachelor's in psych. So I'm so curious, like what are you studying in psych? What drew you to psych? and how do you apply storytelling to that major?

Grace Lu: 6:38

Truth be told, I don't think I was considering psych until very, very late in my application process. I'd never taken a psych class before, but like thinking back on it now, I'm, I'm so glad that I did because it's like this perfect intersection of my true interest. I, I'm a little devious mastermind, a little curious. I'm just so fascinated by the world and its intricacies and I guess like just learning about everything. I'm like always asking why, why this, like, science is so interesting because it has like that, the scientific thought of just continuously asking deeper questions

Scott Barnhardt: 7:27

yeah.

Grace Lu: 7:28

And so like, I find people so fascinating and I just, I love like getting in people's heads. This sounds terrible, but,

Scott Barnhardt: 7:37

Well, I mean, this is the most actory statement ever of like I lo because Right. It's the job where we step into people's shoes and into their heads and their thoughts. That totally makes sense.

Grace Lu: 7:50

so magical and like just understanding why we do what we do. Just the, the best thing possible.

Scott Barnhardt: 8:00

Oh, now, like to that, and I mean, UCLA is an incredible institution. I, I'm curious. you are a current working actor on camera, and a voiceover, did your decision to choose psychology have to do with those career needs? Are you finding more flexibility in a program like psych than maybe you would've elsewhere? Or, or did you really just choose psych because you were just more interested in doing that rather than more acting classes?

Grace Lu: 8:33

I, I think without knowing it, when I was applying, I applied to all the ucs and some local Cal States, and I really didn't, I, everyone was always asking like, what is your dream school? And I never really had one because at the same time, like I always assumed I would go to college. For science.'cause my parents both got science degrees and so when acting came into my life, it really disrupted everything. But I still knew I wanted to go to college. So having, just applying, I like had no expectations. And UCLA in the back of my mind was probably like my top choice.

Scott Barnhardt: 9:16

Yeah.

Grace Lu: 9:17

And I just knew that if I were to go to college for acting, there's a chance that I might burn out of it.'cause I know that especially I, I got my agent in fall of 2019, so right before the pandemic and juggling like AP classes, like in like early 2020 with like suddenly all these self-tapes. It was, I was close to giving up on both ends.

Scott Barnhardt: 9:47

Yeah, it's a lot.

Grace Lu: 9:49

And so I was kind of scared that that would happen if I jumping into college. It's a little bit, you, you don't know what to expect

Scott Barnhardt: 9:57

And now that you're on the other side of it, are you, do you feel like you made the right call? I mean, I'm seeing you lit up about it, so it feels like you made a great call,

Grace Lu: 10:06

Well, I haven't, I haven't actually taken, I, I've only taken one psych class. Let's be honest. The rest are my other pre risks. Yeah. But it's, it's wonderful.'cause I, I love like a very, like jack of all trades esque education, just like pulling from all these different places. But psychology as a program it's a relatively short major, which allows me for a lot more flexibility when it comes to. Anticipating in the future if I need to like take a quarter off or lighten my load, I can, and I don't have to take four classes or five classes every single quarter to graduate on time.'cause juggling that with acting would maybe drive me crazy.

Scott Barnhardt: 10:50

Well, and it is one of those things, it's, it's sort of counterintuitive, people assume like, oh, a, a theater major's, certainly they're gonna understand if I have to leave for a few weeks to shoot something. But in fact, like many theater programs are very prescriptive and very intensive because they're focusing on your training, not on your extracurricular life or your, you know, even professional life. So it can gum up the works on their end if people are missing too much because it doesn't coincide with the training. But I, it does make sense that there would, that you would feel a little more flexibility, I'm sure a lot more academic work, a lot more reading, a lot more self-initiated, academic life, but, If you're on top of it, then it gives you a little more bandwidth for self-tapes.

Grace Lu: 11:45

Totally. Yeah.

Scott Barnhardt: 11:46

Okay, so take us back to junior year Grace. Is that Pandemic Grace?

Grace Lu: 11:52

Junior year is pandemic Grace.

Scott Barnhardt: 11:55

Sorry, we have to go back to Pandemic Grace, but we're going to, and, and this is into your senior year as well. I'm really curious about like what your mindset was about approaching this process, applying to colleges. What were some of your goals? Were you thinking about any other majors? What, how you sort of zero in on this idea of only Cal States and ucs and even only staying in California? Like, was there a real concerted effort that you wanted to stay either closer to home or on this coast?

Grace Lu: 13:33

Absolutely. I, I think because acting was like such a wild card in my life, and then I knew that now I'm kind of, I kind of love it. I wanted to make sure that I, I kept that with me and even like keeping the momentum in some ways, but, but mostly like staying close so that I could continue to, to do the thing that is like lighting me up and also in-state was such a huge, like a very easy decision for me. But like the main factor of course, because I mean, out-of-state tuition. This gets crazy and the, the Cal States and ucs especially so much less expensive than than a private school would be.

Scott Barnhardt: 14:24

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and that's as good a reason as any in my book, because they're also. Just world-class institutions of learning like they really are. and while UCLA isn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination, the, I mean, what you get for the dollar in comparison to a lot of other elite private schools. Yeah. It's a, it's a, it's a no-brainer. It's, it's pennies on the dollar really.

Grace Lu: 14:56

so worth it.

Scott Barnhardt: 14:57

That's really interesting. And I can, I can brag on you like you really were and continue to, you're finding traction, in your career. So it makes sense that the idea of just like hightailing for four, four years, To Iowa, you know, no matter how great Grinnell is, maybe not, maybe that wasn't gonna be the best, most optimum choice for you. So sticking around in California, that, that, that's very, very wise.

Grace Lu: 15:27

And it scared me. I'm gonna be honest, I think I, I did consider it. I was like, it would be very cool to go to U of M, but I don't think I could, I could handle it. I have, I do, I have like an intense FOMO in, in other places of my life, but it does apply to acting like definitely the, what could have happened, all of those things. I just didn't wanna, I wanted to keep all my options open. And staying in California allowed me to do that.

Scott Barnhardt: 16:01

That is such useful advice of like knowing what it is you need. I am curious, like, as you went through the application process, what were your support systems? Like, who did you lean on, who kind of helped you? Or was it all kind of on you? Like how did you walk through that process?

Grace Lu: 16:19

I had an incredible resource in my father. He,

Scott Barnhardt: 16:25

Yes, dad.

Grace Lu: 16:26

one thing about dad is that he will research and prep like it is doomsday. It is nobody's business. And that has kind of passed down to me. If I find something, I will research it to the end of time. We're going down the rabbit hole.

Scott Barnhardt: 16:39

yeah. No, no stone unturned.

Grace Lu: 16:42

Absolutely not.

Scott Barnhardt: 16:44

I actually love parents who help on the research front. That is really, really useful. And what did sort of dad discover about the uc Cal State option?

Grace Lu: 16:53

Definitely finance was a big part of it, but also their education. And a big part of the application process was me just like writing my, uh, u c pqs. And he, through his diligent research on the internet, found a very, um, found a very sweet, uh, like college counselor, I guess, um, who would help like mentor me through the process. Um, and I, I did utilize her on the occasion. I.

Scott Barnhardt: 17:27

Yeah, no, I mean it's essentially what, what I do. It's like an independent educational consultant, someone,

Grace Lu: 17:34

Totally.

Scott Barnhardt: 17:35

and you can. Hire people out in different sort of capacities, either sort of a la carte, just for like general support or people who walk you through the entire process.

Grace Lu: 17:47

And what I realized is that like I, I needed some, some of like that gentle guidance. I, I was like working on my essays by myself and I would come and like review them with her and that kind of stuff,

Scott Barnhardt: 18:01

Do you remember like any advice that your IEC kind of gave you or like I always say it's like most students will write a fine to good answer on something, and then with just a little bit of. Coaching or a little idea shift or a frame shift. It can go from good to great. Like did you move from any good to great. Because of advice from From your IEC?

Grace Lu: 18:27

I struggle with word count. I love words so much. So most of, most of our meetings were, are helping me slim down.

Scott Barnhardt: 18:38

Edit, edit, edit. Just like 3000 words for a 200 word. P I Q. Yeah.

Grace Lu: 18:46

worse than that probably.

Scott Barnhardt: 18:48

Just a full novella fan fiction, ready to go. So I love that you had a little bit of support to, to guide you through that. Um, and then I'm, I'm always sort of interested in this first year. I know you've only taken one psych class, but are there any classes that like lit you up or things on campus that you really, really enjoyed? Like what are the things that you're like, I can't believe I get to go here.

Grace Lu: 19:15

I have taken a few very cool GEs and oh my gosh, I never thought of myself as like a, Biology nerd, but like taking bio and looking at like evolution through the lens of behavior and like altruism is so interesting.

Scott Barnhardt: 19:39

Oh. what a teaser. I do wanna take that class. Biology and altruism. Yes, please.

Grace Lu: 19:45

And how like being good to each other is a way to kind of build a better society.

Scott Barnhardt: 19:52

This isn't a biology class,

Grace Lu: 19:55

I think I, I think I might be putting words in my professor's mouth, but it was a lot of like

Scott Barnhardt: 19:59

that was your takeaway. Yeah.

Grace Lu: 20:00

Yeah. his main takeaway was like, get gifts for your friends. have unprompted kindness. It might be there to benefit you, but it's also just a good thing.

Scott Barnhardt: 20:11

That sounds incredible. Um, okay, let's get into it. How the heck are you a professional actor and a college student at the same time? How the heck are you and I and I know enough about your career that I know how busy you are. There are weeks you're filming, you know, bunked, uh, I and I'm presuming a bunked episode shoots for an entire week.

Grace Lu: 20:38

Yeah, Monday to Friday.

Scott Barnhardt: 20:41

You've got two full-time jobs, plus being a full-time student, how are you handling time management? And then with that, how are you getting the auditions done? Because the auditioning for these jobs is it's own really tough piece of the puzzle where you need a quiet space to record. You need a blank wall to film. You need the time with the sides, like how are you getting all of this done and what's falling through the cracks along the way?

Grace Lu: 21:15

Auditioning really is its own beast.

Scott Barnhardt: 21:17

Yeah,

Grace Lu: 21:18

It's, um, me and time management, we're, we're fighting a little battle. Sometimes it wins. Sometimes I win. Most of the times I do not win.

Scott Barnhardt: 21:29

I was gonna say, if you're winning any of them, that's actually pretty huge.

Grace Lu: 21:34

it's definitely something that I've struggled with and has slowly, very slowly started to improve.

Scott Barnhardt: 21:43

And how is it improving? Like, uh, have you just found efficient ways to do it? Like, let's take you're shooting for a week. Un bunked, are you out of class? Monday through Friday.

Grace Lu: 21:56

Miraculously, I actually haven't had to do that yet.

Scott Barnhardt: 21:59

Oh wow.

Grace Lu: 22:00

There was, I was like on hold for two episodes, and then somehow it was shooting during my spring break,

Scott Barnhardt: 22:10

Wow.

Grace Lu: 22:10

there was one week where I, it just, we, we also switched to like a Wednesday to Tuesday schedule. So I did have to miss like the first two days of class, but, It was somehow

Scott Barnhardt: 22:25

that piece has not actually been a huge struggle.

Grace Lu: 22:29

I am, we're gonna find out next year.

Scott Barnhardt: 22:33

And then with the voiceover work, how are you navigating that? And where are you recording? And I know you have a great setup at home. Like, are you going back and forth or are you recording in your dorm? Like, how are you making that happen?

Grace Lu: 22:49

I've been going back and forth. Sometimes fall quarter especially, um, was the busiest. It, went up to maybe one to three times a week driving from UCLA

Scott Barnhardt: 23:03

to Manhattan

Grace Lu: 23:04

To To home and then going from home after I record, sometimes working on homework there, or literally in the car working on things, and then being back at home multiple times a week.

Scott Barnhardt: 23:21

That's wild commitment. That is really difficult. Do you feel like it's, I mean, I know it's certainly positively affected your career life and your life in general, the, the ability to do these jobs. do you think it's had any positive or negative effect on your college experience?

Grace Lu: 23:39

Absolutely.

Scott Barnhardt: 23:40

Yeah.

Grace Lu: 23:41

Yeah. it really. It did make fall quarter incredibly isolating. I was like attempting to branch out, you know, get my little social life started, but having to commute a few times a week and not knowing when I would be back, and also having so much school to juggle, making sure that like deadlines were, I was hitting them and not missing anything.'cause I don't want anything to slip through the cracks. But what ended up happening is it was my, my social life,

Scott Barnhardt: 24:20

So everything was work and school, work

Grace Lu: 24:24

pretty much, I was prioritizing sleep and school and work and friends just couldn't make it in there.

Scott Barnhardt: 24:34

And I think that's important for people to think about, like,'cause I do think it's a necessary sacrifice on, on some level and we'll talk about how it's improving as well. But, you know, doing things means doing things and going to UCLA and being a professional actor, our two big, full things. So prioritizing sleep and self-care amidst that is, it makes sense. And I think for anyone who's sort of toying with the idea of pursuing professional work while going to school has to at least flag the opportunity or the possibility that it may be a, uh, a slightly less social experience, which I think people sort of think is quintessential to college.

Grace Lu: 25:20

Yeah.

Scott Barnhardt: 25:21

Now with that, I, and I know it has, like, how has that improved since fall quarter and have you been able to strike any more of a balance between a social life and, and your professional life?

Grace Lu: 25:34

Well, I hate to say this because I love, I love working, but the strike did have some positive effects on my college experience socially.

Scott Barnhardt: 25:49

Oh, this is so interesting. of course. The, the strike has actually muted some auditions and work potential. Yeah,

Grace Lu: 25:57

My, my spring quarter, which was I think starting and end of March-ish, um, that was when the WGA went on strike and everything really slowed down. I was still getting a lot of like, V/O auditions the very occasional self tape, but it meant I had so much more time to just be a little bit more like a, a human being. Like, like an 18, 19 year old going to college. And that is the original reason why I wanted to go to college, just to become a more full person. cause when you, it's like to, to get a little tangential in a way. I feel like with the pandemic, especially a lot of people my age are kind of socially starved and we haven't had like a stunted social development. And so I felt like I, there was the possibility of not going to school, but I really wanted that space to Become more myself and live some of these experiences that sometimes can only, there's like an, an air at college where you just become more, you grow up with other people around you. I feel like that was so essential in my decision to go to college and wanting to stay at college and prioritize my social life. Because being a creative person, you kind of need to take, you need to be a human, you need to have these human experiences to funnel them into the work and the craft.'cause that is what being like an actor is. It's, it's living all these different lives. And you can only do that if you live your own and prioritize your wellbeing socially, mentally, as a person first.

Scott Barnhardt: 27:51

Talk about making lemonade outta lemons. cause we can acknowledge the, the strike is, is a, a serious, experience right now in the industry. And, and there the stakes are high, but I, I think we can never also separate the personal journey of an artist amidst all these things. I I'm so heartened to hear like, You're, you're finding your new balance with, with both uh, I'm really excited for you to then as more on camera opportunities happen to navigate balancing your new social life so that both can coexist.

Grace Lu: 28:33

It's like a little bit of a, a, a test run in, in the, the two ends of a spectrum that I'm toying with and trying to find that balance, which I'll see how that happens next year.

Scott Barnhardt: 28:45

It's such an interesting point of view and I think this is, this is gonna be so, so beneficial. So I do wanna ask you one other question and it's a little mischievous this question. When I'm working with clients who are considering schools, especially if they're really narrow-minded or, um, one track, like, I wanna introduce an agent of chaos. If we took UCLA off the table, and in fact we took all the ucs and Cal States off the table and we took psych and acting off the table, what would you study? And is there a school you would study a, an area in the country or in the world? And what would that major be?

Grace Lu: 29:26

I don't know if I, if I have a, a college specifically,

Scott Barnhardt: 29:31

Fair.

Grace Lu: 29:32

but, oh, no, this is hard. I feel like so many of my interests are, I wish I could like do a little dip in every single one of these subjects, but I would love to, I don't know, maybe explore more science heavy stem major. Potentially like a, like a earth and planetary sciences major, or like, I mean, astrophysics has always like, been so miraculous. Like, I, I don't know, just

Scott Barnhardt: 30:06

love, I love that. And this is why I love these questions.'cause it's so interesting to be like, oh my gosh, STEM is what you would go after. I would cry all day every day.

Grace Lu: 30:16

no, I'm, I'm hearing myself back and I would absolutely hate to do physics for the rest of my life.

Scott Barnhardt: 30:22

Oh, fair. But astrophysics maybe.

Grace Lu: 30:27

May maybe like a little, like a little intro course in like all the different areas of science.

Scott Barnhardt: 30:32

Oh my gosh. Science nerd for the win. I, love that.

Grace Lu: 30:37

Or environmental science, applicable.

Scott Barnhardt: 30:41

Very applicable. And I actually think people underestimate the storytelling capabilities within science.'cause I actually think it's the data and the story of our world and our, like it is, it's amazing material for storytelling.

Grace Lu: 30:59

Mixing like anthropology with science just feels like such a cool area to like look into.

Scott Barnhardt: 31:05

Ooh, maybe that's it. That's so interesting. We talk with a lot of students. I know you, you didn't necessarily deal with like huge amounts of rejections on your college applications, but you're a professional actor, so you know, a thing or two about rejection. how do you handle that rejection when you get nos or you get close to gigs and you're pinned and then like go, like, can you talk us through how you sort of process rejection?'cause I think it's a big piece for a lot of applicants to sort of think about as they're moving into this process.

Grace Lu: 31:42

I think the beauty of having. Done so many auditions during the pandemic, uh, lockdown especially is that when I, when an audition did come in, I would go into my little booth and it was like a sandbox moment. It was like, I could create anything I wanted right now, and this is the job. It's like that getting myself in that space where I can kind of just be free like that, that is the magical part about it. And, and sometimes there definitely been those times when I'm excited about something and I get to like a producer session or like I am, I'm so stoked about a call back and I think it goes well. And then radio silence. There are times it's a lot of me like wondering, well I, will I ever hear anything back? Was it something I could have changed? Was it something I could have if I had gotten a note, could I have adjusted? If they had just told me what they wanted, could I have been that? But I, after some time passes, I like flip that on itself. And I guess it's like if I wasn't what they wanted, I couldn't have made myself into what they wanted. Even though I think of myself as, I don't know, like a, I think I'm a pretty good actor. I think. I think I'm

Scott Barnhardt: 33:06

will second that. I will second that. You're a phenomenal actor.

Grace Lu: 33:10

Oh,

Scott Barnhardt: 33:11

But it's not about the acting. It's actually about that essence piece and like maybe it wasn't your gig.

Grace Lu: 33:18

And I love my essence. Some there, you know, there are days I'm like, oh, my essence. But I think I do, we all have unique essences and that is the beauty of being human. We are all so magical just by virtue of existing, like there is some inequality within us that makes us different, and that's kind of what they're looking for. And if they don't, if they're not looking for my unique essence, then that's okay. Somebody else is out there. And I will find that eventually it might, it might take some time. But when it does happen, I know that it was because of me that I, I got the job.

Scott Barnhardt: 33:59

How do you, how did you learn this so young? I'm, I'm gobsmacked. This is, I mean, because that is to, in my humble point of view, like it is that mindset that can actually make the ups and downs of the industry palatable and sustainable, like truly is digging your own essence, digging, digging what you bring to the table. And I even love that you asked or you said like, did I do a good job? Odds are yes. that's, they weren't the hiring of the job based on if you did a good job or not. They were judging it more on are you the match for this

Grace Lu: 34:41

What they need.

Scott Barnhardt: 34:42

Yeah. you don't get control over that. So, Good on you for like wrapping your head around some of that at this young of an age.

Grace Lu: 34:50

I mean, I do have to say I. I know these lessons and sometimes I willfully choose to ignore them.

Scott Barnhardt: 34:58

Welcome to the club.

Grace Lu: 35:00

definitely, it's, it's still a lesson I will learn till the end of time. I fight for control sometimes, or oftentimes, most times, all the time. I fight for control all of the time and it's impossible to get it. And I think that is something you can, that bleeds into all areas of your life. College, especially when you're applying, you don't really know what the outcome is gonna be. You just have to trust that what you're bringing is enough.

Scott Barnhardt: 35:31

Yeah. Yep. I also ask everyone else this question, um, because I think it's really important. College is an investment, um, and everyone doesn't come to the investment on the same playing field. So I, I ask people to talk about finances. I'm curious about how people approach it, and I frame it through the idea of do you think you overspent, underspent, or got it just right. Let us know, like, how did you walk through scholarships, uh, funding, like how are you walking through that part of, the college experience? I.

Grace Lu: 36:10

I do think I got it. Just right. Not, not, not to toot my own horn. I mean, I think UCLA is a pretty good school. It's a pretty good, public school was the perfect, perfect option. I know that like UCLA is definitely not like a very cheap school, but yeah, when, when looking at the like E F C calculator, I knew right away that with my dad's income and my income and all the money that I saved from acting, that I wouldn't actually qualify for any financial aid. So private school was off the table at that point and I, so, I'm so, I feel so lucky that my first generation immigrant father, um, Wanted to give back and saved up enough money to pay for me to go to college fully. Um, because he knew that like, if I were to take out student loans, if I were to go get into student debt, that it, it does limit you. It, it creates like a weight on top of you if you graduate with student debt. That kind of limits your financial mobility and opportunities and that kind of gift of like getting to leave school debt free with the money that I've saved up,

Scott Barnhardt: 37:35

Holler. Yes. We celebrate that. I, I do a happy dance every time I hear I'm walking away from school debt free. However that's happening. That is such a gift,

Grace Lu: 37:47

it's really beautiful and I feel so lucky.

Scott Barnhardt: 37:50

On top of the fact that you're, I think that's also another benefit to discussing because you're actively working and you're earning union wages on, on jobs. And it's another way to sort of consider walking through a college experience with a professional mindset is, If you're playing it correctly, and that could be from an entrepreneurial point of view or like as an actor like that can also pay for college. Like, that is, that is a, a path. But I'm,

Grace Lu: 38:22

Absolutely.

Scott Barnhardt: 38:24

I'm thrilled about this, this journey for you.

Grace Lu: 38:27

I honestly wanted to pay for college myself.

Scott Barnhardt: 38:30

but dad was like, absolutely not.

Grace Lu: 38:33

He was like, Slow down. I got you.

Scott Barnhardt: 38:35

That's beautiful. well, We talk about a lot with clients, and this is a little off topic, but you know, if a parent is spending a dime on your college, experience, one, they're not legally obligated to, they don't have to. You're, you're grown, it's a gift and it's, it's to be met with a. Extreme gratitude, and I think I've seen a lot of students sort of just presume it's expected and it, it's can be really, really tricky.

Grace Lu: 39:03

Definitely my, I feel like growing up I really understood. The value of money. I know my mom, when we were all talking about college and like the way that you idealize it as a young kid, like she paid for college, she worked full-time to pay for college. And think that kind of mindset, like as a single parent wanting to give back to your children for all of like the lessons that you've learned and what you have, the life you've created for yourself, it's very, it's a very immigrant mentality. Definitely. But it's, it's so it, it's so sweet.

Scott Barnhardt: 39:43

Well, it's, it's coming from that space of love. It's coming from, giving to the next generation to continue to thrive and what, what a, what a joyous gift to, to receive that.

Grace Lu: 39:56

I am very lucky.

Scott Barnhardt: 39:58

I'm sort of curious, psych major or not, do you have a preference to doing vo work versus on-camera work? Like, I mean, I love that you've navigated both how have you, how have you figured out both, like,'cause you really have in a lot of ways, like do you, do you use the same techniques? Do you use the same, um, coaches and support? Like how, how have you navigated both? And do you have a preference? I

Grace Lu: 40:24

I mean, I was gonna say, growing up doing vo i, I guess that's having started in voiceover. I am, I would say a little bit more comfortable. It comes slightly more naturally to me.

Scott Barnhardt: 40:38

Hmm.

Grace Lu: 40:39

I sometimes I get on set and I don't know how to move my body. I'm like a little puppet. I'm so stiff up there. I've like rewatch the footage. I'm like, ah, they were disconnected. I was so, I was trying to,

Scott Barnhardt: 40:55

All of grace was not in the building.

Grace Lu: 40:56

the mouth was there, the vo, the words were coming

Scott Barnhardt: 40:59

The brain was working. Shoulders down, nothing. Yeah.

Grace Lu: 41:04

it, it's slightly different. Weirdly enough, I feel like because doing voiceover, you kind of create the entire world around. Like from scratch, basically. So there's a lot more up to you. It, it puts more pressure on you, but there's also a lot of creative freedom, whereas on camera you kind of gotta like fit in with what everyone else is doing.

Scott Barnhardt: 41:29

Hit your mark. Turn on this line.

Grace Lu: 41:32

Move your body. Well naturally move it naturally

Scott Barnhardt: 41:36

Walk. Walk like a human.

Grace Lu: 41:37

yeah.

Scott Barnhardt: 41:38

Whereas you don't have to walk like a human in the the voiceover booth. You can be full

Grace Lu: 41:43

I mean, whatever.

Scott Barnhardt: 41:45

Yeah.

Grace Lu: 41:46

The worst posture you've ever seen that, that's essentially what,

Scott Barnhardt: 41:50

That's the joy of VO is having the worst posture. That's hilarious. And like as a young actor, what are those resources that you've turned to? Because I, I have got people who ask all the time. I, I think a lot of people presume if you wanna be an actor, then you need to get a degree in acting. And it's, they're, they're separate skills. You know, selling your wares as a professional actor is a totally different thing than becoming a strong actor in a collegiate program. So like where have you learned the trade as, and I know you've learned a lot of the trade on the job, but where and how have you learned this?

Grace Lu: 42:32

Well, I'm to, to attribute everything back to my father and his research skills. I found my first acting coach who has slowly become an incredible mentor in my life through Yelp.

Scott Barnhardt: 42:49

Come on. Yelp. Yelp coming through.

Grace Lu: 42:52

yeah, somehow it worked out that from, from Yelp I got an entire support system of strong women who have slowly taught me the business. And from them I have met equally strong, very incredible mentors like your partner.

Scott Barnhardt: 43:19

Shout out jp.

Grace Lu: 43:22

And slowly just, I think as I've gotten older, um, and I'm like exploring new things within the industry, I've been expanding my, my little village, one person at a time, and even within like the last two weeks. Being out on the picket lines. I went with my, my lovely acting aunties as they like to call themselves. I went with them to the first day of sag, w g a striking on Friday and met so many people who have industry experience and were relaying to me the past 30 years of their lives. Like getting to, just getting to listen and learn from people who have done it and are actively doing it has been so exciting.'cause there are, there are definitely things I would not be able to get if I was just in a collegiate program working on my craft, but kind of in like an insular space.

Scott Barnhardt: 44:31

I think it feels like, you know, correct me if I'm wrong, it, it feels like you are someone who does really well with one-on-one. Like, maybe you're not studying every day, but taking an hour with a coach that seems to be a way that's really worked for you.

Grace Lu: 44:53

Every single time I audition and like coach on something. In some ways I've gotten more and more confident over the years because it's like I'm honing my instincts and that's kind of like carrying me through. Like sometimes I will coach on something with JP and he's like, no notes. What am, what am I here for? And. It is like that, not necessarily like validation, but like the security and like, no, you just, just calm down and let go because You, you are bringing what you know, even if not consciously, even if you are anxious and that's masking everything that's happening right now. It is there underneath it, the things that you've learned over time.

Scott Barnhardt: 45:41

yeah. And I, and I will say, I think that kind of work and that kind of trust, I think it is easier built on a one-on-one. Situation rather than, uh, necessarily a class setting. Again, I love both. I love all schooling, learning environments. Like I love a 200 person lecture hall. I love a one-on-one coaching. I think they're all really, really beneficial. But the industry point of view, I do actually think part of the secret to your success, has been a really diligent understanding of the one-on-one coachings have really helped build your confidence, build that permission to follow your instincts, and I've also

Grace Lu: 46:23

Hundred percent.

Scott Barnhardt: 46:24

the, the amount of coaching that you quote unquote need diminish as. You're walking through this, and I think that's, that's the goal, right? The goal isn't to have someone else's voice in your ear for all of your career. It's to start to trust that you have your own instincts. But I do think that requires a little bit of support to get there,

Grace Lu: 46:51

A hundred percent. I. Absolutely love academic environments. If I could be in one all my life, I would, and maybe that's saying something, but there's definitely like a little less pressure, I would say. I think I, I loved being in drama class so, so much like the, the environment that it creates of just like people coming together to collaborate and just try things out. It, it is sometimes though, like I, there is like that fear of how you are perceived and of failing that I think I can support myself a little better when it is in that one-on-one environment and that that is a thing I'm working on. You, it is, it is, a beautiful thing to be able to support yourself in a room with people. But it definitely, I, I would say you're correct. It has, we can attribute some of my success to that

Scott Barnhardt: 47:52

I think that's also in this new era of education where we're really, I. Understanding the fact that not everyone learns the same way. We don't get support in the same way. So really personalizing that support and those strategies that are going to benefit you in, in pursuit of your goals.

Grace Lu: 48:17

There are so many kids that get left behind in pursuit of the arts or different interests because like educators might not have the capacity to teach everybody in the way that is best for them, which hopefully changes

Scott Barnhardt: 48:36

And, you know, taking agency like I, I, I love when I see students take agency for their own, path and find that support that they need. When you hit. A dead end. And listen, that dead end can happen in a lot of different places. Um, and a lot of really tricky teachers and institutions. When you bump into that dead, dead end, don't allow it to be a dead end. But to, but to work to find support for those, you know, uh, be it learning differences, be it, um, special services needs, like whatever it may be, seeking them out because I, I've, I've seen the transformative impact when curriculum delivered appropriately to a student who needs it. It's, it is absolutely transformative.

Grace Lu: 49:34

It is so hard to ask for help and, and like hitting that dead end. It can, it can be a little bit comforting sometimes to have that wall there to like lean against as like a barrier. Like, I, I can't do this, therefore it's okay if I like, stop trying. Or it's, it's easier to see this for what it is than to try and look elsewhere because sometimes the odds really are stacked against you.

Scott Barnhardt: 50:05

And fully acknowledging like that is also a, that is also a conversation of privilege and a conversation that not everyone comes to this from the same playing field,

Grace Lu: 50:14

We don't all have the same resources.

Scott Barnhardt: 50:16

no, no. Um, but I, I, I, I do, I applaud when I see people work Within the resources that are there. Because what I do know is that it's never, it never has to be a complete, no, it never has to be a complete zero. and I'm always curious about how to work within those margins. How can you wiggle within those margins? Uh, it's, it's really

Grace Lu: 50:39

love that.,

Scott Barnhardt: 50:40

so you're an actor, you're a scientist, you're a psych major. I'm curious, like looking down the road 5, 10, 20 years from now, do you have any sort of sense of where and how this degree and maybe the experience at UCLA as well as your acting career, like what industry pathways you see for yourself in the future?

Grace Lu: 51:05

Hmm. I, I kind of wanna just try everything. There's, there's

Scott Barnhardt: 51:12

a great answer. It's a great answer. All of it.

Grace Lu: 51:16

all of it. Maybe, maybe not a master's or a PhD.'cause I know with, with, with a degree in psychology, sometimes it's a little bit, it, if I wanted to go into that field, I probably would need my master's at least, or my doctorate.

Scott Barnhardt: 51:31

Yeah.

Grace Lu: 51:32

But I don't know, getting too, Kind of take what I've learned and apply it to my craft while also looking outward. Try a little bit of screenwriting, playwriting, directing. Who knows?

Scott Barnhardt: 51:45

back to that storytelling.

Grace Lu: 51:47

I'm trying to do it every way possible.

Scott Barnhardt: 51:50

Yeah. Well, and again, I love the idea of like using what you learned in Psych Less to necessarily pursue a clinical career, but to apply it to character development or world development. That's pretty cool. Ah, all right. All right. I see you storyteller.

Grace Lu: 52:14

Is that my nickname now?

Scott Barnhardt: 52:15

Yeah, the storyteller.

Grace Lu: 52:17

I love it.

Scott Barnhardt: 52:18

That's a good one. You should use that for like a d and d campaign.

Grace Lu: 52:22

Oh, oh,

Scott Barnhardt: 52:23

d and d? Of course you

Grace Lu: 52:25

You opened the floodgates, sir.

Scott Barnhardt: 52:29

What are, what are the, if you roll a 20, what is the special power of the storyteller?

Grace Lu: 52:36

I mean, I feel like a storyteller can really do anything that, that that'd be, that'd be, you can be any kind of storyteller you want.

Scott Barnhardt: 52:45

Yeah. obsessed with, like, you must have, are you a, um, are you a DMM at all? Like when you play d and d.

Grace Lu: 52:57

I'm a, I'm a young dm, a new dmm. I've only, I've only DMed a few times, but oh my gosh, it's so exciting when I look. Okay. The, the, honestly, honestly, the number one thing I love about UCLA so far is that everybody's a little nerd.

Scott Barnhardt: 53:17

Yes.

Grace Lu: 53:18

I

Scott Barnhardt: 53:18

think maybe that's what I liked about it too. Now that you actually put it in those words. It is a little bit, there's a lot of, there's a lot of nerd and the best way,

Grace Lu: 53:31

absolutely, everybody's a nerd for specific things, but like the the people that I have found that I've spent my past couple quarters with huge nerds and I love it.

Scott Barnhardt: 53:43

Yeah.'cause I, I equate nerd and nerd dumb to passion. That's, uh, that's why I never think of it as a pejorative. I never think of it as a dig'cause I'm like, no, you love something. You are passionate about something. And I think that usually when the rubber hits the road, it turns into creative action somehow.

Grace Lu: 54:10

Yes,

Scott Barnhardt: 54:11

Like it usually comes to some kind of making, if you love something that much, you usually gotta make something. So it's like there wants to be some sort of application. This is such a nerdy conversation to begin with.

Grace Lu: 54:25

I love it. I, the amount of conversations I've had with people who are studying linguistics is, is insane. Like the, the, the most incredible conversations will just start out of nowhere, and I love that about college and UCLA especially, is that, We're just, we're all a little passionate about stuff.

Scott Barnhardt: 54:49

And I think when you're then in a space where, you know, thought bombs are sort of hitting left, right and center because you're, you're in an engaged space, like everyone is there to learn and to expand upon their passions and expand upon. Like, then everyone just like, oh, do you know what I heard in this class? No. You know what I heard in this class? Like, that's so cool.

Grace Lu: 55:13

It's like, let's go and we're all taking each other with us.

Scott Barnhardt: 55:17

Find, find your crowd and with a school that big, they're there somewhere.

Grace Lu: 55:22

Oh yeah.

Scott Barnhardt: 55:23

Last question. Uh, this has been such a delight. Going back to your whole experience, including pandemic Grace, junior year, what's something you wish you had better understood about the application process? What did, what is something that you wish you sort of knew at the beginning or what advice would you give? Your 17 year old self now,

Grace Lu: 55:49

I think there is a lot of freedom that comes with time management and on the flip side of that time for yourself and reflection during the process, and I, I don't recommend this, I started writing my personal essays in October and the application was to be turned in in November. And that, Something young people do especially well, is procrastinate and get it done. Like we, we bring it, but it is not sustainable in the long run no matter how appealing it is. And I think I stressed myself out in a time when slowing down would've been really nice because senior year goes by so fast already. I know all of my friends, we, we all kind of dipped from each other first semester'cause we, we just had so much time we had to spend on application process. And I think if I had at least made an effort to like, schedule out hours of my day every week to focus on the application and let it go out of my mind the rest of the time, it would've. Given more time back to me in the precious hours that I have left.

Scott Barnhardt: 57:19

That's a great advice. Parceling out that time. Yep. And it's something, you know, I actually think it's part of my gig when I'm working with clients is, is helping them parcel this out, schedule this out, really this lift, lift up and get like a bird's eye view of the semester, or you know, okay, this is due in November, can we get a draft in September? You know, like, so that you have more time with material.'cause I will say, especially those essays,

Grace Lu: 57:55

Gotta sit on them.

Scott Barnhardt: 57:57

yeah, they have to ruminate. It's a creative act like they're, they are rarely ready to go in a first or even second pass.

Grace Lu: 58:07

Your essays especially.

Scott Barnhardt: 58:10

dig in and allow it to grow and strengthen. That's, that's a, that's a great bit of advice. And this is even coming from someone who had a very successful application process. But what I hear from that is, oh,

Grace Lu: 58:25

Yeah.

Scott Barnhardt: 58:26

I could've etched out more time for myself. I could have strategized the time. Yeah, that's great.

Grace Lu: 58:34

A lot of my senior year was definitely trying desperately to stay in the moment because you're caught between the past and also looking forward and there's a lot that you're missing right here. I.

Scott Barnhardt: 58:46

Yeah, totally. Oh, grace, you are just a delight. You're just an absolute beacon of light. Thank you for showing us. It really isn't about what you study or where, but how you apply yourself and mine, your own opportunities and experiences to continually move that needle forward. So rock onto you. This is awesome. If people wanna get ahold of you and see what you're up to, how might they do that? I know your website that links to your I M D B is grace l.com. Any other ways to contact you?

Grace Lu: 59:22

I am on Instagram at Grace dot M L u, MLU, and then on Twitter, you can find me at Grace mlu. No, period.

Scott Barnhardt: 59:32

Love it. We'll make sure those go into the episode description so people can, can find you. and you, you will wanna like, check out when these gigs get announced. Y'all aren't ready? Y'all aren't ready. thank you Grace. That's another interview episode of the Creative College Journey podcast. We hope this episode with Grace Lu is beneficial to you. And wanna thank you for taking time outta your busy day to listen. If you are in need of some encouragement, guidance, and inspiration for your college journey and would like to work with Scott, don't hesitate to head to our website, www.creativecollegejourney.com to schedule a free, no obligation, one hour consultation find out the many ways the creative college journey can help you on your path. You can also find Scott Barnhardt on Instagram at Scott Barnhardt. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. It really does help others find us. And be sure to come back in the coming weeks for more discussions about creative college admissions, lowering the temperature on the process and the many industry pathways and transferable skills that a creative education and life can offer. Don't forget, it's not where you go to school, but how you go to school. That counts. Thank you.