By Madison Slocum-Juarez, March 24, 2026
Actor Lucas Grabeel, best known for his role as Ryan Evans in “High School Musical,”, gave artistic advice and encouragement from his past experiences to Cal Poly Pomona students who attended BroncoCon March 13.
BroncoCon is a pop culture convention-style event that includes students from fandoms to connect and showcase their creativity in their creations, clubs and passions. Grabeel told his story about his upbringing in the entertainment industry and the pathway that led him to where he is now. He said he has been lucky since the time he moved to Los Angeles and got his role in “High School Musical,” but once he was in the industry, his highs and lows became more prominent.
“When you’re on stage in front of 100,000 people, and everyone is screaming, it feels like the greatest moment of your life,” Grabeel said. “And then at the end of the night, everything stops, and you’re alone in your hotel room.”
Grabeel reflected on the influence that “High School Musical” still has on people 20 years after being released. He shared his passion with BroncoCon by letting everyone in on how it was being on set, filming with his costars and the impact his role as Ryan Evans has had on him.
“Ryan was not just one thing or character,” Grabeel said. “He can be anything.”
The character Ryan portrayed his personality in many different ways. This led many fans to connect with the character because they saw themselves in Ryan, according to Grabeel.
“I love being remembered as Ryan,” Grabeel said. “It is truly one of the greatest honors of my life to have been that small beacon for so many people.”
He encouraged students in the arts to stay open to all opportunities and say “yes” to anything, like putting themselves in all different roles of a production. He said doing this gave him more respect and appreciation for everyone on the team, which led to him being better at his main job.
He added the arts industry can be unpredictable for artists, and they should not compare themselves to one another, or else they will never be satisfied. He emphasized mental health and rest are most important to keep yourself from getting mental blocks or becoming drained in your passion.
“There’s no guarantee,” Grabeel said.. “There’s no certainty. There’s no consistency, Living as an artist is difficult.”.
BroncoCon vendor Viennese Datu has been creating art for six years and selling it professionally for two years. She creates fish-themed art, portraits, stickers and other creative designs. Datu creates art as an emotional outlet, and is excited to showcase her artwork for BroncoCon.
“I love having a creative outlet and producing things for people who also love creative things,” Datu said.
Tiama Yazji, a business marketing student, sold handmade items like crochet pieces, jewelry, pins, hair clips and different accessories based on specific fandoms she is a part of. She said events like BroncoCon help support artists on campus, and creates a space for students to express themselves and meet people with similar hobbies.
“It’s really important that we continue to support the arts and allow students to have a space where they feel comfortable expressing themselves,” Yazji said.
BroncoCon is an annual event hosted by Associated Students Inc that brings together students with similar interests and hobbies. The convention is based on comics, pop culture, anime, make up and video editing. It connected a whole room of student vendors through their favorite fandoms and artwork.
Feature image courtesy of Madison Slocum
