The McAllen school district in 2001 became the first school district in the Rio Grande Valley to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

The city’s business community and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce played a pivotal role in the process. They recognized it as a way to attract businesses and families to the region. The district’s IB students have a home campus where they participate in UIL activities.

In 2021, Grace Kelly graduated from McAllen High School and the IB Diploma Programme. She graced the theatre stage while in high school in the manner of a legendary princess and actress of the same name. Kelly also protected the net as the Lady Bulldogs goalkeeper and served as Lamar Academy Student Council president.

Kelly left her mark at Lamar in a more tangible way. A core component of IB is CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service), which requires a long-term project.

“I combined my passion for neurology and art to create Cope with Hope,” Kelly said. “My own struggles with mental health in high school – and realizing art is a form of stress relief – led to my personal project.”

Kelly designed and sold colorful decals. Money raised paid for a vendor to transform her designs into stair decals. Grace Kelly-designed decals are on the stairs leading to the second floor at Lamar Academy.

Change Of Plans

Kelly had it all figured out. She would go to an Ivy League university, play soccer and become a physician. Fate had other plans. Kelly enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin’s Plan II Honors Program.

She jumped right in her freshman year, hosting an art therapy session and joining the Plan II Pre-Med Society. By her junior year, Kelly felt pulled to a different career path but initially resisted.

“If I’m not pre-med, does that mean I’m not smart?” she asked herself. “I love science but realized I could pursue behavioral sciences without being pre-med.”

It took mentors like Stephen Sonnenberg, an M.D. and a professor for Excellence in Undergraduate Studies, to help her get to this point. 

“Grace is very good at reaching out and being open,” Sonnenberg said. “Open to mentorship, open to sharing ideas and open to listening to people.”  

Aspiring Plan II graduates are required to complete a thesis.

“At IB, I had to do so much writing,” she said. “The extended essay in high school prepared me for writing my thesis. A lot of my friends are just learning this in college.”

Clear Path 

Then last year, Kelly ran for UT Student Government president. 

“Learning about suicides on campus really hit me,” she said. “I felt a call to action; I wasn’t doing enough.” 

Kelly chose Elle Grinnell as her running mate and developed a policy platform, focusing on student awareness of mental-health issues and how to get help before a crisis arises. In March 2024, Kelly and Grinnell learned they had won the election. Their policy work began.

They worked extensively with Chris Brownson, Ph.D., director of the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center, and the vendor to customize modules on a wide range of mental-health topics and available resources. These modules are now mandatory for all incoming UT students. Funding has recently come through to make the customizable modules mandatory at most UT-system campuses for the next three years. 

Kelly, Grinnell and their executive board host monthly town hall sessions, present at numerous events and meet with the UT president.

“Elle and I still have a strong connection with (former) President (Jay) Hartzell and with Interim President (Jim) Davis,” Kelly said.

They were on Davis’ agenda on his first day in the president’s seat.

“Grace is a dynamic and compassionate champion for her fellow students and UT Austin,” Davis said. “She followed through on her commitments to tackle big issues. She masterfully navigated the university and student government process to build consensus and deliver results.

“At the same time, she brought her upbeat personality and enthusiasm for events to lift the student community and grow the value and interest in student government,” the UT president said. “Her impact on our campus will last well beyond her time as a student.” 

As Kelly looks back on her year in office, she acknowledges that balancing coursework, time with friends and her own well-being has been challenging yet worth it.

“This has been an opportunity of a lifetime,” she said. “Seeing my executive board work within their niches is the most rewarding thing. Our voices are genuinely heard.”

On May 10, Kelly will graduate with a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Human Development and Family Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Plan II Honors. Her path is now clear.

“I have a passion for structural change in public policy,” Kelly said. “I am now seeking a job in public health policy and plan to embrace the leadership opportunities.”