By Terra Avilla
In the heart of our community, there lives a sweet little gem of a human named Gracie Claypool.
With a smile that can outshine the sun and a heart as vast as the ocean, Gracie is the epitome of beauty, both inside and out.
But don’t let her radiant exterior fool you, this Susanville local, is way more than just a pretty face. Gracie consistently proves that true beauty is about more than just appearances — it’s about actions, impact, and sharing kindness with those around us.
Like many of the people who some way or another find themselves the subject of my articles, I met Gracie when she was fourteen years old, and was be-bopping around Lassen High School. You want to gauge the heart of someone? See how they act when they think no one’s watching. And Gracie, Gracie was always the same.
Wonderful. Consistently, constantly wonderful.
Watching her grow up has been an absolute privilege for me, because just when I think I couldn’t be in awe of her anymore. There she goes, being Gracie.
Gracie may look familiar to you and that is because she spent a great deal of time in the public eye when she served as Miss Lassen County a couple of years back.
Gracie uses not only heart in the community, but also her brain. Gracie was Rotary’s 2019 student of the year and is now currently enrolled in the RN program at Lassen College. As a graduate of the LSN program, Gracie put her skills to work while she worked at Lassen Nursing and Rehab, doing a lot of great work pushing for their involvement in the community.
Gracie has the heart of a nurse, compassionate and caring, and the right temperament to make anyone she treats feel at ease.
Despite the demands of her nursing program at Lassen College, Gracie finds the time to volunteer, proving that a busy schedule is no barrier to making a difference.
Over the past years I have watched her blossom, and she has never outgrown her kindness. It’s almost as if she doesn’t know how truly wonderful and one of a kind she is.
I have watched her have countless interactions, with an array of individuals from all walks of life, and she treats them all the same, with so much kindness.
I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Ms. Claypool as she continues to challenge herself, however, whatever it is, I know she will excel because she just has this innate tenacity.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to have watched her grow up, because she is one of the reasons I love where we live.
