Grace Bydalek
- IW Features Fellow
Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Grace Bydalek is a member of the Musical Theatre class of 2018 at the University of Michigan and a proud Wolverine.
She is the Director of the Dissident Project, a non-profit dedicated to educating American high schoolers against authoritarianism through the personal testimonies of young dissidents. Her writing has been featured in the National Review, Reason Magazine, the Conservateur, the New York Daily News, the Federalist, the American Spectator, the American Conservative, the Washington Examiner, Nebraska State Legislature and the UNL Board of Regents campaigns, among others. Bydalek also pens theatrical reviews for the New York Sun.
As a professional actor, she’s been featured in television shows including HBO’s High Maintenance. Her most recent performance highlights onstage are Juliet in Romeo + Juliet, Paulina in The Winter’s Tale, and Sunny in the workshop of James the Many (music by Air Supply). Her upcoming play about her grandfather is set to be workshopped this coming spring. Her favorite roles have been sister to Jack and daughter to Mike and Jill.
She is a 2021 graduate of the Gotham Fellowship, a yearlong theological fellowship examining faith, culture and work. She and designer Briar Figueroa are the winners of the 2021 Cultural Renewal Project Grant, with which they founded It Is Good: A Festival of Arts + Faith. She is a student at Reformed Theological Seminary, pursuing a Masters in Theology.
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Stories by Grace
Socialism Stole Her Childhood – Here’s How Gabriela Blanco is Countering Cuba’s Influence in the United States
After witnessing the corrosion of Castro's "socialist utopia," Cuban dissident Gabriela Blanco is warning…
Grace Jo’s “Series of Miracles” Saved Her From the “Death Sentence” of Remaining in North Korea
After Grace Jo's father was executed for attempting to save his family from extreme…
Frances Hui Isn’t From China: One Woman’s Fight for the Hong Kong Identity
Frances Hui landed on the Hong Kong Police Force’s “Wanted Persons” list after dedicating…
“You Are an American Dream”: An Iranian Woman’s Journey to America
Iranian dissident Tahmineh Dehbozorgi is honoring her family’s past by speaking out for America’s…
Olympic-Level Boxing Coach Cary Williams Is Fighting for the Fate of Women’s Boxing
By allowing men to box against women, USA Boxing has threatened the safety of…