JACKSON, Tenn. — Aug. 14, 2018 — Her grandfather Dave Gray starred on one of Union University’s best basketball teams ever, back in the 1960s.
Her father Clay and mother Leigh are both Union graduates and met during their time on campus.
So for EmmaJoy Gray, Union University was always a possibility when she thought about where she would attend school.
“Union was always my top pick, because my relationship with God and my faith are really important to me, and I love the South,” EmmaJoy said. “It felt like home, really.”
Gray, of Carmi, Illinois, is one of about 450 new students who will move onto campus Aug. 17 to begin their Union experiences.
She plans to major in social work, so she can help others the same way she has been helped by a therapist who has worked with her in her battle against an eating disorder.
The problem began during her freshman year of high school. Gray says she felt a lot of guilt and shame in her life, and the eating problems were an attempt to disappear and hide. She started losing weight, lost interest in school functions and stayed in her room a lot. In general, she was an unhappy person.
Her family noticed. They took her to the doctor, who connected her with a therapist. She’s been seeing him ever since.
She’s a member of Ditney Ridge Baptist Church in Norris City, Illinois. Despite the athletic heritage in her family – her dad and grandfather played basketball at Union, while her mother played tennis – Gray says she’s not competitive at all.
“I like other things,” she said. “I really love art, and I love music. I like to play the guitar. I sing, and I like to paint. It’s not like anyone else in my family.”
She says she is looking forward to meeting new people and living with her roommates as she begins her Union journey.
“I’m just excited to be going to Union,” she said. “It’s like a dream.”