Recurring Ringleader

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By Brittany Brownrigg, February 18, 2010

Wray, who has held several leadership positions throughout high school and college, credits her leadership skills to the mentors she has had. They have taught her not only to accomplish her goals, but also that success would require hard work. 

 

 “To me, leadership has always been important,” Wray said.

 

The native Hoosier graduated from Franklin Community High School in 2007. Throughout her high school career she earned the titles of swim team captain, yearbook editor and National Honor Society treasurer.

 

She started her swimming career in a summer league when she was 12 years old and continued to swim every summer after until her junior year of high school. Once she hit eighth grade, Wray started swimming the traditional school season in addition to summer leagues.

 

Wray said her mother, Trish, helped her get started in the sport. Both Wray’s mother and grandfather swam competitively when they were younger. 

 

“I’ve always loved the water since my mom had me in it since I was young,” Wray said. “It means a lot to me to have her in the sport too…Swimming has changed my life.”

 

While still swimming in high school, Wray started coaching for one of the competitive teams she swam for when she was younger. Now entering her fourth year as a coach, she said she believes she can pass on key qualities and characteristics needed in life to the children she coaches.

 

“I love coaching,” Wray said. “It’s one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had in my life. I could coach for the rest of my life.”

 

Wray’s leadership within the sport of swimming has affected Franklin College, as well. When the time came for Wray to choose a college she felt Franklin was a great option for her because she wanted to attend the Pulliam School of Journalism and liked the small class sizes.

 

While still a senior in high school, Wray knew she wanted to start a swim team at the college. She began discussing her dream with Candace Moseley, the wife of President Jay Moseley.

 

Moseley directed Wray to Athletic Director Kerry Prather, and they worked together to start the swim team. They started by having interested students swim laps in pools around Franklin using Wray’s connections through her past swimming and coaching experiences.

 

By Wray’s sophomore year the team had become a club sport, and had hired Andy Hendricks as their official head coach. Last year was the first season the Grizzlies competed in swim meets as a club team.

 

The college’s swim team is now an NCAA sanctioned athletic team. The swimming Grizzlies now compete against fellow conference members and are officially recognized as a varsity sport. Wray is once again a leader as one of the team’s co-captains, along with male representative, Jon Bush.

 

Swimming has not been the only area of Wray’s life in which she has demonstrated her knowledge and study of leadership. In her sophomore year at Franklin College, Wray decided to change her major from Journalism to a double major in English and Spanish, with a leadership minor.

“[Journalism] just didn’t feel right,” she said. “I’m glad I made the switch.”

 

This adjustment allowed Wray to study different subjects, including leadership. Through a project at Franklin College in which she and other students studied Leaders in the 2008 Johnson County flood, Wray earned the opportunity to go to the International Leadership Association Conference in Prague. 

 

“It was a really, really good experience,” Wray said.

 

The project revolved around studying the leaders that emerged when the flood came to Johnson County and how they were able to effectively and efficiently return life back to normal.

 

Wray said that between studying leaders, both at home and abroad and being a leader herself, she now knows that the better the leader someone is, the more accomplishments they can achieve. Wray describes herself as both a motivated and ambitious person and leader.

 

In addition to going to Prague, Wray has been to two other foreign countries in the past year. She went to Mexico and Ireland during the January terms of 2009 and 2010, respectively.

 

“It’s mind blowing to go abroad,” Wray said.

 

Traveling throughout her college career has also shaped what Wray sees in her future. She said she has considered teaching English to people who speak Spanish, but whatever career she chooses must give her the availability to travel as an adult.