Getting to know Mrs. Ray

Story & Photo by Aressa Steele – Social Media Editor 

Adrienne Ray has been a part of the teaching community for nine years. She spent a part of those nine years teaching in the Independence School District at William Chrisman High School. She taught a Chemistry Lab at a college in Colorado and lastly has been teaching at Lee’s Summit North. Many students have enjoyed her presence and her teaching style. Mrs. Ray teaches many different classes, but she is mostly known for her passion for Chemistry.

   “I currently teach AS Chemistry 1, Chemistry 2, and AVID 11. I have also taught Chemistry 1, Biology 2, Biology 1, and FPC,” Ray said.

   In her earlier years, she attended many different colleges. One of which is The University of Kansas for her bachelor’s degree. 

   “I attend Johnson County Community College, The University of Kansas, Metropolitan University of Denver, and Western Governors University,” Ray said.

   In college, she was very involved in numerous activities. One activity she loved was being a part of the distance running team at The University of Kansas. She is now coaching the girls cross country and distance track teams at LSN.

   “I was a Collegiate Distance Runner, I at KU I was a Phog Phanatic for Basket Ball Games, I was in a few different clubs in college like the Oreo Eating Club and Friends who watch Friends club,” Ray said.

   Before teaching, she worked as an Assistant Coroner in Aurora, Colorado. This job she experienced allowed her to examine a person’s cause of death. Not only did she work as an Assistant Coroner, but she also had a variety of other jobs.

   “I worked as an Assistant Coroner in Aurora Colorado, a Surgical Pathology Gross Tech at the University of Colorado Hospital, and as a Brain/Spinal Tissue Harvester for the Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Tissue Research Bank. I have also held jobs as a bartender at a variety of bars/ restaurants and clothing stocker at Old Navy in my younger years,” Ray said.

   Although Mrs. Ray is teaching now, that wasn’t her first passion. Her first experience teaching showed her an interest she did not realize she had, she began to enjoy teaching! The first experience of teaching for Mrs. Ray lead to the decision of leaving her other jobs behind.

   “I have not always wanted to be a teacher. When living in Colorado I did some teaching at the University and I found that I did enjoy it. I left my medical jobs due to burnout, switched to teaching since it was a side job that I enjoyed,” Ray said.

   Her first teaching experience led to her teaching for the next nine years. Now, Mrs. Ray’s favorite thing about teaching is seeing students learn and enjoy chemistry each day!