AMBASSADOR SPOTLIGHT: Marin Gray
Oregon Born has been incredibly blessed with the most amazing group of brand ambassadors. Periodically we will be featuring Q & A posts with Oregon Born Ambassadors that will allow you to get to know each of them a little better.
This is the second post in our Ambassador series.
What is your name?
Marin Gray
Do you have any nicknames?
Not that I know of!
Where were you born?
Roseburg, Oregon
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a theoretical astrophysicist! I’m now looking forward to pursuing a career in educational administration, but I still love learning about physics, math, and space in my math and science classes.
Why did you want to become an Oregon Born ambassador?
Oregon’s the best, and I love representing it!
What is your favorite part about being an Oregon Born ambassador?
I love the ambassador community! It’s always fun to meet unique people with a common love for our beautiful state.
What is your favorite thing about Oregon?
The smell of the fog, hands down!
What is your favorite food?
I love salt and vinegar chips to the point of obsession.
What is your favorite hobby?
I always enjoy creating things. Whether it’s art, writing, or dance, I love expressing myself creatively (usually with some 70s folk-rock music playing in the background)!
What is your favorite travel destination?
Japan— I’ve been twice and my family has hosted exchange students and adults all my life, and I just love the culture and food! One of my favorite memories is eating Japanese street food at the lantern festival with colorful glowing lanterns floating in the sky.
What kind of pets do you have, if any? What are their names?
I have four hairless cats: Edith, Marco, Stanley, and Stubby.
What causes are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about implementing positive change in the foster community! Oregon’s foster system is overwhelmed, and I’ve been working with a non-profit in addition to creating my Hope Totes Initiative to rally community members to provide tangible and emotional support for the foster system.
Do you volunteer? If so, where?
I’m the Youth Advocacy and Outreach Leader and Faith Community Liaison for Every Child Douglas County, and I have founded and organized 4 equity-based community initiatives.
What is an interesting fact about you?
I was a semi-finalist at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and I know how to spell a lot of useless words.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I’m honored to be able to say that my BRAVE World community intercultural fair is now in it’s sixth year and has had over 73 cultures represented! It makes me proud of my community to witness the joyful scene of Rwandan music, Tibetan folk-dancing, and traditional Brazilian food all in one room.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself just graduated from Harvard and going on to pursue a doctorate in education!
Favorite book?
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Favorite song?
Hejira or Song to a Seagull or Rainy Night House by Joni Mitchell, or Rhiannon or Tusk by Fleetwood Mac!
Favorite movie?
Anything with Sarah Paulson and/or Cate Blanchett!
And lastly, what was your favorite TV show when you were 5 years old. And what is your favorite TV show today?
I’m sure it was Elmo. Now, it’s Mrs. America! I’m passionate about women’s rights, and this show inspired me to look around and see how I could personally make a change to the gender inequalities I see still today.