Competition is one of the greatest ways to see how well we can manage physical and mental hurdles. This has led Jeanette Gray to shoot for the stars and embrace the ability to overcome adversity along the way.
Gray was born and raised in the Region, graduating from Valparaiso High School and eventually Valparaiso University. She received her MBA in mechanical engineering at college. However, she decided to dive into teaching following graduation.
On top of her studies, Gray also spent her college days on the basketball court. Throughout her life, she has experienced some of her greatest memories playing sports. She acknowledges that she wouldn’t be the person she is today without it.
“Sports have taught me every lesson in the book,” Gray said. “They bring challenges every day and allow us to overcome that adversity. From how to get along with all sorts of people to accomplishing the same goal as a team, there’re a lot of lessons to be learned in playing sports that can be applied to the real world.”
On top of playing sports, Gray has experience as a coach too. She serves as a driver in athletics for not only her students but her peers as well. While she finds this as a way to share experiences with the students that she has coached, Gray simultaneously cherishes the value of learning from them as well.
“You learn a lesson from everybody you coach as well as the staff you’re working with,” Gray said. “We’re helping the players to prepare, physically and mentally, for each opponent. I’m a very competitive person, so coaching helps feed that fire in a mentoring role.”
Serving as a mentor for students is a strong passion for Gray. Alongside her sport endeavors, this was one of the biggest reasons she decided to jump into teaching.
She started as the women’s basketball coach at Ball State University for three years. From there, Gray decided to get involved with high school basketball. She moved back into the Region and has since served as a coach of various sports at George Rogers Clark High School, Highland High School, and Lake Central High School. The latter of the three is where she works today as a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) engineering teacher.
Outside of school and sports, Gray is a co-owner of CrossFit 219 in Munster and CrossFit 219 South in Dyer. Her passion for sports coincides with her desire to help people become the best versions of themselves for as long as possible.
“If you want to live a healthy life and have fun with your grandkids for as long as possible, CrossFit can help people make that happen,” Gray said. “You need to be able to move properly, maintain strength, and have aerobic ability.”
CrossFit is something that Gray plans to work with even more down the line. Her goal is to make the CrossFit Games in the master’s division and become one of the fittest 40-year-olds in the world.
Gray also has no plans to stop teaching anytime soon. Similar to her vision with CrossFit, she wants to help each student maximize their potential.
“I’m not only teaching the students about becoming engineers; I’m also teaching them how to become better problem solvers,” Gray said. “I want to see the students grow in that area so that they can make strong decisions based on the variables they’re faced with.”