Greetings Neuse River Family!
My name is Mr. Wray (-ray) and this is my 1st year at Neuse River Middle School. Though my official caseload is 6th grade, I am accessible to all students and so excited to be here. As far as my training, I obtained two Master’s degrees from North Carolina Central University in School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and I am also a National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) Minority Addictions Fellow. Prior to that, I received my B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh after an accomplished athletic career in track and field.
I arrive as a School Counselor after exploring a variety of different career/lifepaths and bring my unique life experiences to the work I do with students. I take a solutions-focused therapeutic approach paired with mindfulness-based interventions, and believe students are not truly able to reach their highest potential if we do not adequately address the challenges they face from a socioemotional perspective (especially as it relates to coping and grit/resilience). I try to bring my full, authentic self, promoting self-advocacy, autonomy and a student’s ability to solve their own problems, meeting students where they are and encouraging ways for them to access a growth mindset with consistency.
For more background on myself, I was born in New York City and grew up in Philadelphia, but have called the Raleigh-Durham area home for the last 10 years. Even though we are all Ravens here at NRMS, I am a diehard Philadelpha Eagles fan (FLY EAGLES FLY!) I’m a huge music person and frequent concerts/festivals all over, cannot keep up with my huge backlog of great tv and movies to watch, and recently started reconnecting with books and my love for reading/learning.I am also a 200YT certified yoga instructor. I have too much fun talking anime, games, etc. with my students, so talk nerdy to me as much as you like. If you see me walking around the building, please speak as I love engaging with students and families. If I’m not in my office, leave a message with Ms. Horton and I will get back with you as soon as I am able. I can be reached via email at mwray@wcpss.net or my office phone which is (919) 266-8500 ext. 21155. You can also text me (preferably) at 910-434-5053.
6th Grade Parents can email mwray@wcpss.net to ask for help setting up their account or changing their password.