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Today's Featured Biography

 
Alice Chang Ray

Just earlier this week, one of my staff members told me that I was old, because the laser printer I bought for almost $1,000 (what a sucka!) while I was in grad school in 1993 is 15 years young this year. It has faithfully served me through the years, and in return, I replace the cartridge and give it paper. Not a bad deal for about $75 a year at this point!

My personal biography is that when I graduated from Grandview High School in 1988, I thought I was going to become a pediatrician. Little did I know that during a gross anatomy class at Mizzou that I would repel that idea forever. Let's just say that the smell of the human body under certain circumstances did not sit well with me. To this day, I am not able to even remove a splinter from either of my kids' skin. Go see Dad! Needless to say, in the second semester of my junior year, I changed my major to become a child life specialist, which is a play therapist for hospitalized children. My mother was MAD!

During my senior year, I met my husband. I had been nominated for Homecoming Queen, and my husband, as past President of the Missouri Students Association (Mizzou's version of student council), was on the interview panel. He got word to one of my sorority sisters that he was interested in getting to know me better. Since I was recovering from a breakup with a boyfriend of two years (an '89 Hickman Mills grad who was also at Mizzou) at the time, I thought I'd get right back out in the dating scene and had nothing to lose.

In a matter of months, I figured out that Tom Ray ('87 grad from Center High School) was the right guy for me. I even decided to complete my Masters degree at Mizzou so that we could be together while he finished his Law degree. For those of you who know me well enough, I would have never dreamed of limiting my graduate school choices because of a guy. But for Tom, I did.

Tom and I moved east of Columbia following both of our graduations in 1994, as all of our job offers came from St. Louis. We were married in St. Louis in 1996. John Robinson and Brian Bird were ushers in our wedding.

In 1999, our older son, Corby, was born on the Fourth of July. In 2003, our younger son, Tyler, was born Easter weekend. We have a thing for holidays around here!

During the last 14 years, I have worked as an aide in children and families issues for Lieutenant Governor & Governor Roger Wilson, an account manager for Children's Miracle Network of Greater St. Louis and development director promoted to executive director for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of St. Louis County.

Although my career has afforded me many wonderful experiences, including organizing a four-state event that involved a satellite feed of former President Clinton and the Secret Service to getting pulled over for speeding by a Missouri highway patrolman with John Schneider (yes, that's Bo Duke) to advocating and fundraising for foster children who are in the child welfare system because of past abuse or neglect, my most rewarding work is that of motherhood.

As the mom of two boys, I am involved in all things I never pictured myself doing. I am the team manager for my older son's outdoor and indoor soccer teams. I help design and build Pinewood Derby race cars for Cub Scouts. I chair the Pinewood Derby Pit Stop Cafe fundraiser. I teach pre-K Sunday School classes and third grade Junior Achievement classes. I also have to deal with rubber snakes and arm pit farts when friends of my older son spend the night. Little brother thinks this is hilarious!

The only girly thing I make time to do these days is stay an active member of the Junior League of St. Louis. This year, I am Vice President of Community Programs. I have a team of eight wonderful women who serve as chairs, and we are doing great things in the St. Louis community. I just wish we could do more. St. Louis could use it.

Since high school graduation, I've worked to become a better person. I have a more global view of the impact of our choices. I understand now why knowing about our past is so important. I believe that each of us have the ability to leave our mark in significant ways. The challenge is figuring out the best way to do this.

A couple of things that haven't changed about me, though, is that I still get occasional pimples, and I haven't really mastered how to cook Chinese cuisine. Go figure. I still have a long way to go.

I hope this finds everyone well. I'd love to see the rest of the members of the Class of '88 at the reunion.

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