WHO I AM INSIDE

My name is Elisabeth Rebecca Gray, and I was born on April 15th, 2004. I go by the name “Lissa,” which is taken from my first name “Elisabeth” because it is spelled with an ‘s’ instead of a ‘z.’ I was born in San Diego, California, and have lived there my entire life. My parents are Amy and Rod Gray and my younger brother is Steven Gray. My grandparents and cousins also live close to us, and we spend each holiday with our extended family annually. I’m blessed to have a pretty great relationship with my family. We have some timeless traditions from Halloween to Christmas. One of my favorites is Christmas morning. We’ll head to my grandparents’ house in our pajamas, eat some delicious frittata for breakfast, and open presents as a group. It’s always one of the highlights of my year.

One of my personal favorite pastimes is music. It’s been a staple in my life thus far, and my whole family is also musically gifted. Since I was young, I’ve been talented in singing and I’ve developed that gift through voice lessons, musicals, and choir. My favorite songs to sing are musical theatre songs and Disney songs, some of which I’ve sung since I was little. Because of my involvement in the arts, I tend to mesh with people who value music and drama just as much as I do. My best friend, Sascha Pezdek, has known me since I was born. We have loved to act, sing, and dance together since we were very young. One special duet that we sing is “For Good” from the musical Wicked. I always play the character of Galinda and she portrays Elphaba. We hope to perform the song and show professionally one day.

A fun fact about me is that I am quite an accident-prone person. This quirk has died down in recent years, but in my early life, it proved to be an issue. I’ve broken my arm twice in my life not even one year apart. The first time I was in kindergarten and decided to swing from a pull-up bar on the playground. Instead of an impressive flip like I planned, I landed flat on my arm. I had to wear a cast for at least six months and later needed surgery. Needless to say, it was a very memorable occasion in my life and one I hope I don’t repeat. 

Other examples of my accident-proneness have shown up more recently, specifically at my old job. I was a barista and I made bulk coffee for Shadow Mountain church; I’m pretty sure I burned myself more times than I can count. My fingers have withstood burns from hot water, hot coffee, espresso, and many metal surfaces as well. It’s a wonder I haven’t burnt all the prints off by now!

A main factor of my life is my spirituality. I’ve been a Christian all my life and have been devoted to learning more about Jesus every day. I have gone to Christian schools from fourth through twelfth grade, and it has had an enormous benefit on my life spiritually. Retreats at Foothills and a constant biblical worldview surrounding me have prepared me for life and reminded me to always keep God first. I have attended many different churches in my lifetime. Namely, Casa de Oro Baptist, Sweetwater Community, and a handful of Shadow Mountain churches. These have shifted depending on where my dad got a job as a worship leader. All of these churches have taught me different lessons in serving and showed me what an occupation in ministry might look like. I have interests in worship leading like my dad, and it’s definitely a job option for me going forward. 

From my childhood to my teenage years, my love of Disney has never entirely left me. A year and a half ago I found a show called Tangled: The Series. My obsession with the series started during Covid and served as a comfort in the midst of the turmoil penetrating the world. The show followed the events of Rapunzel and Eugene after the animated movie Tangled and introduced some new characters as well. I had no clue how much of an impact this show would have on my life. My favorite character in the show, Varian, is voiced by my all-time favorite actor Jeremy Jordan. On top of his fabulous voice acting, he also sings in the show which is a blessing in itself. Through the show, I’ve established a love for writing fiction and picked up some valuable tips about being a great writer. Ultimately, when I look back on my “Varian-phase,” I’ll remember it as one of the most bizarre but gratifying obsessions I’ve ever had.

Part of the reason why I like Tangled so much is because of the dramatic aspects added to the show, and if you know me, you know I self-identify as a huge drama nerd. The first role I played in a production was through a church theatre group called “Sweetwater Kids Theatre.” I performed as one of the wise men in their Christmas show, and from that moment on I was hooked on the magic of the stage. I performed in practically every show they did until I was out of the age range, and set my sights on bigger and bolder theatre groups. I’ve been in a few CYT shows and one YAT show which serves as one of my favorite experiences onstage. When I got to FCHS, I joined drama in a heartbeat, and I haven’t regretted it since! Our productions of Beauty and the Beast and Godspell have been memorable and enjoyable; I only wish we got to do Guys and Dolls as well!

My aforementioned junior year show was shut down due to Covid, but in spite of this pandemic, we’re still pushing through to put on Sherlock Holmes this year!

So, now you know a little bit about me! I’m a theatre-kid fanfiction writer who loves Jesus, my friends, music, my school, and my family! My life is already chock-full of ups and downs, but this is only my senior year! My life’s just beginning and I know my story is far from over.