Today we’d like to introduce you to SallyAnn Gray. Them and their team share their story with us below:
To understand my reason, you have to understand my story. My biological mother gave me away at the age of three months. She was walking along a street in Kingston, Jamaica as she tried to get to a radio station. She wanted to make an announcement or ask someone to help her. She had a baby and was unable to care for her.
As she walked toward the radio station, a man stopped his car and asked if she needed help or a ride. My biological mother made the decision to get in the car. As she explained her plight, the man revealed that he and his wife had been praying for a baby. Eventually, they came to an agreement, and she handed me over. That kind man and his wife became my parents.
As I grew older, my Mom and Dad explained the incidents that lead to them becoming my parents. I struggled as I tried to understand how a mother could give her child away to total strangers. It completely crushed my self-concept. It made me feel like I was not important. As a high school student, my low self-esteem morphed, and I became a wayward teenager. Many people told my mother I would never amount to anything in life. Despite the heart-breaking comments, my parents never gave up on me.
They prayed hard, and with much intervention; I was able to achieve academic and professional success. During much of my adulthood, outward success masked the fact that there was little inner fulfillment. Some of the self-doubt and low self-esteem from my teenage years managed to resurface. I started to think about why these feelings were plaguing me so often. I asked God many times, is this it? Is this life? Work hard to pay bills, get home from work, feed the kids, and go to bed.
There just had to be more. My life had to have more meaning than this. I started to realize that the fallacy presented to us as children to complete college, get a “good” and “stable” job, buy a house, and live happily ever after, somewhat created an illusion of happiness and fulfillment for me. I was miserable despite having what appeared to others as the “perfect life”. On the outside, others saw confidence, academic achievement, professional accomplishment, a happy marriage, and two beautiful children.
What I discovered, is that appearances serve as distractions from your true purpose. It was at that point that I knew I had to develop the courage to share my story with others so they too would understand that life is less about where you start or how you start. I often dub my story “Wayward Teen to Transformed Queen,” which is the title of my third book. The fact that my alma mater high school in Jamaica kicked me out and hired me 4 years later as a special education teacher is a story that needs to be told.
Through my books, keynotes, and presentations, I help business leaders, youth advocates, and administrators, improve the mindset of their teams and students, which leads to improved performance and improved results. I use my past, to inspire audiences to leave the excuses behind and step into their greatness. The reason why my mission of mindset reform is so important is that for many years I suffered from a poor mindset myself.
Today, I have leaned into my mission of helping others “emancipate themselves from mental slavery” as my fellow Jamaican Bob Marley sang in his song. I moved to Savannah in May of 2021 to teach for Savannah Chatham County Schools as a Special Education teacher. This is my third time teaching in the United States as I have previously taught in North & South Carolina. As a veteran special educator with over twenty years of experience, I use my educator skillset, to teach my students and audiences powerful mindset tools they can use immediately to see results in work and life. As a native of Jamaica, I love the sun and the fun.
I take my energetic personality with me wherever I go. I have presented to teams in Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Colombia, Nicaragua, and the United States. My mantra is this, “I remain committed to growth in all areas of my life. When I grow, I grow others.” I am married to my best friend Mark, and we have two awesome children, Malachi and Sarah.
A few career highlights about me:
• Ph.D. student- pursuing doctoral studies in Educational Leadership at Delaware State University.
• Named Author of the year (2019) by The Indie Author Legacy Awards. (IALA)
• Author of 4 books.
• Professional member of The National Speakers Association.
• Veteran educator with over 20 years of experience.
• Jamaica Association of the Deaf Shield for Best Performance in Education Awardee.
• Former Head of School & Programs Director- TGL school of Sales at University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC).
• Educational Consultant to government agencies and corporate entities on curriculum design and reform.
• Frequently appears in national and international media.
• Presented to teams in Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Colombia, Nicaragua, and
throughout the United States.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being a misunderstood teenager. Seeking acceptance from circles that rejected me. Not always believe in me. Poor mindset. Having people tell my foster parents I would never amount to anything. Struggling with feelings of low self-worth.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Currently, I am a special educator with Savannah Chatham County Public School System. Highlights from Jamaica are below:
SallyAnn is a veteran educator with over twenty years of experience in developing human potential. She is the recipient of the Jamaica Association of the Deaf Shield for best performance in education given by the Mico University College. As an Educational Consultant, SallyAnn has written curriculum for Jamaica’s National Training Agency, HEART Trust/NTA, and is also a school inspector with the National Education Inspectorate of Jamaica.
In her last professional role, she was Head of School & Programs Director for the TGL School of Sales & Sales Management at UCC, the first professional sales school in the Caribbean. SallyAnn holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a trained Special Educator, having graduated from the University of the West Indies & the Mico University College.
Currently, SallyAnn is pursuing her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Delaware State University.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a very talkative child. I liked to talk. In fact, I served many detentions for over-talking. I still love talking lol. I was also an avid reader. I love books. Now I write my own.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://sallyanngrayspeaks.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallyannspeaks/
- Facebook: SallyAnn Gray
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh4wQ6sllcKzo1zqPrsVrLw
Image Credits
Gray Focus Media by Mark Gray and IALA Indie Legacy Author Awards
