Michael Wray, U'20
Give to the Annual Scholarship Fund Make a Monthly Gift Start an Endowed Scholarship
Why did you choose to attend the University of Saint Mary, and what made it stand out from other colleges you considered?
I am originally from the Kansas City area, and I wanted to attend college locally. Saint Mary stood out to me because of its relatively small class sizes. When I visited campus, the faculty, staff, and students I met were all welcoming and it seemed like Saint Mary would be a good fit.
What have you been up to since graduating from Saint Mary?
I went on to graduate school at the University of Kansas, obtaining my master’s degree in 2023 and my doctorate this year, both in School Psychology. I also worked at KU in graduate research and teaching positions during my studies. This last year I was on a full-time internship with a school district near Denver, Colorado to complete my doctoral training.
What is your current job or role, and what do you enjoy most about it?
I will soon be starting as a postdoctoral fellow with Indiana University School of Medicine and Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. The position involves assessment and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (including Autism, ADHD, Intellectual Disability, and genetic disorders). This is what I specialized in during my doctoral training, so I am excited to continue working in my area of interest.
How did your time at Saint Mary prepare you for your career?
In general, my professors at Saint Mary always challenged me to do my best and held me to high standards. Beyond learning content knowledge, this developed and refined my written communication and critical thinking skills. However, the biggest way it prepared me for my career is that I had never considered psychology before Saint Mary. I happened to take Introduction to Psychology my freshman year; the professor (now my mentor and friend), Dr. Nancy King, saw that I seemed to be really connecting with the material and encouraged me to think about a career in psychology. I started at Saint Mary as an English secondary education major, so Dr. King suggested that I consider school psychology to blend my interest in the two fields, and she arranged for me to shadow one of her former students from Saint Mary who had become a school psychologist.
What is a memorable experience you had during your time at Saint Mary?
As I mentioned earlier, I started out as an English Secondary Education major. When I decided to switch to Psychology, my plan was to drop the English major entirely. I went to my English advisor, Sister Rosie Kolich, to break the news. Mid-conversation, she called over Sister Susan Rieke from across the hall. Sister Susan casually stood in the doorway, and before I knew it, the two of them had successfully talked me into a double major.
Fast forward to my senior year. I was speaking on a student panel at a new faculty orientation, using this exact story to illustrate our professors’ commitment to their students. I did, however, embellish just a bit for dramatic effect, telling the audience that Sisters Rosie and Susan had “cornered” me in the office, refusing to let me escape until I surrendered and agreed to stay in their program. Naturally, word made its way back to them, and it’s been a running joke between us ever since.
Have you stayed in touch with any of your professors or classmates?
I keep in touch with many classmates through Facebook. I’ve remained in regular contact with several of my professors, particularly Dr. King and another of my English professors, Dr. Joy Raser, as well as Sisters Rosie and Susan. I’ve also remained close friends with Carrie Hollister, who was one of my supervisors when I was a student worker at the Academic Resource Center (ARC).
What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates?
To current students, I would just encourage them to take advantage of the access students at Saint Mary have to their professors for mentorship, advice, and learning. My life and career would look a lot different if it wouldn’t have been for their support and guidance during my college years.
How do you stay connected with the Saint Mary alumni network?
Primarily through Aspire Magazine as well as online through social media.
What hobbies or interests are you currently pursuing?
Having spent the past year in Colorado, I greatly enjoyed hiking and exploring in the mountains.
Do you have any favorite Saint Mary traditions that you still cherish?
I’m not sure if this counts as a tradition, but I still remember the Saint Mary values of community, justice, excellence, and respect, and try to let them guide me.