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Rachel K. Ray, a college freshman at Marion Military Institute, made the school’s honors list recently. The institute announced Friday, June 6 that Ray was among students named to the school’s President’s List.

Ray is a native of Fort Deposit and graduated in 2024 as valedictorian of her class at The Calhoun School. She earned her place on the President’s List for spring 2025 by achieving academic excellence and a 4.0 grade point average.

In her senior year of high school, Ray was named a Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Scholarship winner. Nicholas Townsend, former Calhoun principal, described Ray as a well-rounded student-athlete. 

“She’s very passionate about athletics and academics,” Townsend said. “She gives her very best at both and she really shines on the academic side. 

“She’s a leader and a great peer helper. Her peers enjoy her and even though she is very talented athletically and academically, she doesn’t act like she is better than anyone else. Ray also works in the community and helps her mom out with her business and those are some things that make her such a great person all around.” 

Ray made history as the first female student-athlete to receive the award in the Lowndes County Public School System. At Calhoun, she participated in Career Tech Education and carried one of the hughes GPAs in her graduating class.

Marion Military Institute has been educating leaders since 1842 as part of the Alabama Community College System. A diverse population of civilian and military-track students attend Marion for its immersive leadership environment.