By: Devon Barnes

Valerie Gray is more than just your typical McCaskey high school student. She got her start here only a few years ago after moving from the sunny shores of Florida, and isn’t hesitating one bit to make her mark. Valerie’s making sure her senior year goes out with a bang (or two!), setting a shining example for all of her peers.

Her debut began just last year, when she obtained the role of Vice President of McCaskey’s agriculture clubs first ever meeting. Winning them over with a speech, her commitment was now concrete, and the agriculture club very quickly became a passion amongst her and all those she shared it with. She showed off her prowess as a leader during last year’s fall tree-planting event around McCaskey East in honor of the late Brother Albrecht, passing along instructions to all of those eager to get their hands dirty. Valerie’s all about taking initiative, making sure to introduce herself and valuing good impressions amongst all of those she met during agriculture club’s field trips and meetings with guest speakers. This year, she climbed the ranks to President position after the club officially gained their FFA chapter (recognized by the state!) over summer break. That’s only the tip of the iceberg, though. Valerie Gray is also this year’s editor-in-chief of McCaskey’s literary magazine, Burning Glass. She made her start there last year as well, making sure to plant roots early and put in the effort to flourish. These leadership positions are so much more than just titles or accomplishments to tack onto college applications; she lives through them and values her commitments with exemplary time management skills. Her work-life balance is just as notable, like many students here at McCaskey, she’s balancing a part-time job alongside academic life.

The list goes on! Valerie Gray is also making a name for herself this year through Peer Mediation, an on-the-rise program at McCaskey. Their aim is non-violent conflict navigation through means that allow interpersonal problems to be solved without stifling any student expression in an open and peaceful environment.

Now, at a glance, that looks like a lot. Honestly, one might even be tempted to call it too much. Some might be wondering just what keeps Valerie Gray going every day. Well, look no further, because I’ve interviewed her to get an answer to that exact question (and more!).

How has the agriculture club grown in its first year?

“We’ve gone from a small club at club fair that I joined randomly because I wanted to do something with the environment, and now we just got our first FFA charter at Penn State. We’ve really grown with so many opportunities like the farm show field trip and a ton of other chances at learning more about the agricultural sciences. Now, we are an official chapter of FFA!”

And how does it feel to get that FFA approval after a year of hard work and leadership?

“Well, it felt… hmm— it was a surreal moment! Mostly because I never thought that this club could grow so quickly. I thought it’d just be a simple club I could grow plants in. I didn’t know I could be part of something that’s much, much bigger than me.”

How are you expressing your passion through leadership?

“Honestly, just doing a bunch of different things. When it comes to leadership, you need to be a well-rounded person and try to understand everything: different perspectives, values, and world-views. So I’m taking different classes, from IB world religions to peer mediation, government and politics, I even took dance. I really just took everything I could because I wanted, well, everything.”

What does McCaskey mean to you?

“When I hear the name ‘McCaskey’, I think of opportunity and inspiration. The teachers at both JP and East have taught me so much about passion as, like, the core of life, instead of just money. I feel like it’s really special. So, McCaskey means the world to me, honestly.”

What kind of impact do you hope to leave with your senior year?

“That’s a really hard question. I just hope to make enough of an impact for other students to do the same thing that I did. I want them to believe that since I took on so many clubs and hard classes, they can too. Especially from a girl just in Florida doing… absolutely nothing other than trying to pass. To a person who is just doing so much and succeeding in it. I hope that impact reaches others who think they cannot.”

So, I know you’ve got a lot on your plate, and I want to ask— how do you go about time management? Any tips and tricks to share with other students?

“Uhh- I honestly just hope for the best, haha. I’m like water, I just go with the wave. Um, really though, what I try to follow by is have priorities. Prioritize what you need to do, do that, and have fun after.”

What kind of career do you want to pursue?

“Umm, I wanna do something- well, my career shifted a little bit. I wanted to be a psychiatrist helping out people, but I thought I could do it, umm, on a larger scale. That’s why I want to do something in politics and something revolving around agriculture. So, merging those two things together! I wanna help the environment, but I want to do it on a larger scale where I could affect a lot of people in a positive way.”

So, would you say your time here at agriculture has sort of inspired you to make that change in what you want to do?

“A hundred percent. This club has offered me these opportunities— a program at Penn state where I looked into college and majors and got to know the place. And it just really made me have this love for agricultural sciences.”

Okay, one more thing I want to ask: It’s okay if you don’t have an answer to this, but do you have any words to live by? Any wisdom to impart?

“Hmm… words to live by… okay, a little cliche, but, don’t give up, obviously! Umm, life’s gonna suck. But, don’t just accept that life sucks. Change it. Don’t be the person that just goes ‘Oh, that’s just life, that’s just how we have to live!’. No, be the person that changes it and makes it better for everybody.”

I’m very thankful for this opportunity to speak to such a hardworking and thoughtful student hereat McCaskey— but Valerie Gray is a lot more than just that. She’s also my friend, so I can personally attest to all I’ve written here. Students like these, to me, are something like shining stars in the vast, dark, and sometimes scary sky of high school. We can learn a lot from them. I hope you’ve learned something, too!