Prepping for the stage: Music theater graduate reflects on ASU journey
Grace Rogers, performance (music theatre) graduate, singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at an MLB game.
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2025 graduates.
Performance (music theatre) major Grace Rogers has always loved to sing. Despite early stage fright, her passion for music took center stage during her second-grade show-and-tell, where she performed a Miley Cyrus song with a pink toy guitar. And the rest is history.
“Ever since then, I have been performing — and I’ve loved it,” said Rogers, a native of north Phoenix.
Now a graduating senior at ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Rogers is celebrating a childhood passion that has blossomed into a career. In March, she made her New York City debut alongside her ASU music theatre cohort as part of their culminating capstone project. A student in Barrett, The Honors College, she also performed a solo recital for her thesis — a reflective journey through her development as a performer and the artists who’ve inspired her along the way.
Drawn to ASU’s Music Theatre and Opera program in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre, Rogers has always felt a special connection to the singing side of performance, which is a passion she has pursued beyond the classroom. Over the past several years, she has performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" more than 150 times at events ranging from school ceremonies to NHL and MLB games.
“I’ve had veterans in the crowd come up to me after I have sung, saying that my rendition moved them, which I can’t even wrap my head around. Hearing that from someone who has served our country means a lot to me,” Rogers said.
In addition to music, Rogers has always prioritized service and leadership. Though applying to the ASU Alumni Association’s Medallion Scholarship Program (MSP) was a last-minute decision, it played an impactful role in her college experience.
“The Medallion Scholarship Program provides a sense of community, which is one aspect I really loved. Not only does it expand on academic life, but it expands upon leadership skills, morals and community service,” she said.
Through MSP, she took on a role as a community assistant (CA) and has worked in this position since her second year at ASU.
“I’ve always loved leadership, and MSP inspired me to continue pursuing leadership positions,” Rogers said.
Looking back on her time at ASU, Rogers credits the strong women in her life for helping shape both her artistry and sense of self.
“I give a lot of credit to my mom and sister. I was raised by two Sun Devils who are also incredibly strong women,” she said. “That’s not only impacted my ability to perform and portray strong women onstage, but also in my ability to become a strong woman myself.”
After graduation, Rogers will be featured in a professional production of “Into the Woods” at the Phoenix Theatre Company, where she will be playing the role of Rapunzel.
Here she shares more about her college journey.
Question: Why did you choose ASU?
Answer: My year was the first year of COVID-19 auditions. I had virtual auditions for all of the colleges that I applied for. What made me choose ASU, however, was that it was the only college developing innovative ways to perform. ASU made an entire space to perform outdoors, and wasn’t focused only on online performing.
Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?
A: To a degree, I’ve always known that my field is community-based, and that’s one part I’ve always loved about it. But I never understood how unbelievably important it is to be together creating art and how valuable that is to me and my well-being. The more we were able to come together to create art fully and do it together, the better my college experience was. Each musical theatre class is roughly 12 to 15 people, so you really get to know the people in your major. I’ve watched everyone grow in who they are as people, and to see how far we’ve come is really impactful.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to someone still in school?
A: Go to everything you can. I came from a very small school my first year, so I didn’t understand the events and school spirit that is possible at ASU. Once I became a CA and through MSP, I attended many events on campus with other Medallion Scholars. We started going to events together around ASU, and it’s been so fun. So, my recommendation is to go to everything you can!
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