25-year-old Grace Strobel is a boundary-breaker. A few years ago, she and her mother began sharing her story at schools or through speeches. You see, Grace has Down syndrome, meaning she was born with an extra copy of chromosome 21. She decided to share her story after noticing that she did not see many other people with Down syndrome, chronic illnesses, or disabilities represented in the media. As Grace began speaking and sharing her story, she also put her mind to a new endeavor: modeling. Now, shares The Telegraph, Grace has donated some of her clothing to the Missouri Historical Society. 

Grace’s Story: Becoming the First Model with Down Syndrome to Be the Global Ambassador for an International Skincare Company

In a separate article published in Allure, Grace explained that she felt the most confident in herself when doing a photo shoot. Since she first began modeling, Grace’s career has absolutely taken off. She has made connections with celebrities such as Lady Gaga and has appeared in a number of print and video media sources. 

Then, in 2020, Grace became Obagi’s Skinclusion Ambassador. Prior to Grace undertaking this global ambassadorship, the role had been held by Priyanka Chopra Jonas. 

Earlier this year, Grace donated some of her clothes to the Missouri Historical Society. These donated clothes were some of the items she had worn in her Skinclusion photographs and her appearances on various shows. 

The Missouri Historical Society was founded in 1866 and aims to be a repository for historical artifacts to ensure the preservation of Missouri’s history. Currently, the museum houses 175,000 artifacts. It also has an extensive textile collection, one of the most prolific nationwide. 

Grace is not only becoming a part of history – but changing it. Her ultimate goal is to not only build confidence in herself and show the world what she can do, but to change the narrative around Down syndrome and other conditions.