Odds are you’ve seen this week’s celeb around campus sporting his Greek letters. He knows how difficult it is to manage work, school, Greek life, and home life, but he still manages to get good grades and have a personal life. And on top of all of that stress that we can relate to, he still manages to be a super humble and hands down great guy.
Name: Hal Gray
Major: Contstruction Management
Fraternity: Iota Phi Theta
Fraternity Position: President
Nickname: Teddy (Like the president, not the bear!)
HC: Why did you decide to come to UNF?
HG: To get the full college experience, you really only get the chance to be young for a short amount of time.
HC: How did you decide on your major?
HG: I’ve always had an interest in architecture, so I majored in construction. I’m planning to on going back to school and get my master in architecture.
HC: What would you do different about college if you could.
HG: I started UNF as an accounting major, but I wish I would’ve started out with something that I really love.
HC: What fraternity are you a part of?
HG: Iota Phi Theta
HC: We heard that you and your fraternity won a lot of awards recently. Tell us about those!
HG: I won NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Council) president of the year and Top 10 Greek. The fraternity won Excellence in Scholarships and Continual Improvement.
HC: How did it feel winning all the awards?
HG: It was like winning a Grammy, it things like this that make me realize how much hard work can really pay off, it makes me always want to work as hard as a can. It’s a great feeling.
HC: What do you and your fraternity like to do?
HG: One of our fun things that we do together is stroll, a form of step dancing. We do a lot of traveling and competitions. Our next one is in November.
HC: What is one thing you value most about the fraternity?
HG: Brotherhood. I could be anywhere and there’s always a brother there. It’s great how large our community is and how diverse we are, and that’s something that we always work on.
HC: What do you like to do outside of the fraternity?
HG: Just having a good time with friends and family, it’s one of the things that keeps me sane.
HC: Who influences you the most?
HG: My mom. Even when she was diagnosed with diabetes, she took on two jobs, took care of me and my brother, and still managed to take classes at a university and even graduate. Through all of that she is a hero to me.
HC: How do you manage to balance school, work, and Greek life?
HG: I’m always on the go. I go to work in the morning, have classes around noon and afternoon. Then later in the evening I focus on the fraternity and studying for my classes. My weekends are then devoted to my friends and my family.
HC: Has the fraternity help you grow, and how?
HG: Yes. I can name a million different ways that I’ve grown as a person, but my biggest thing is that I have overcome shyness. As a freshman I started out as a shy introverted person. When professor would ask questions I would know the answers, but I was always scared to raise my hand. Now I’m a go getter. I know that I can achieve, so I’m not afraid to go out there.