Lauren Gray, a John Muir Early College Magnet High School student, was crowned Miss Black Pasadena 2023 earlier this year. The studious junior admits she’s an overachieving student who sometimes tries to do too much. With a 4.4 GPA, she is dually enrolled in John Muir and Pasadena City College and is on track to earn two associate degrees in addition to a high school diploma when she graduates next year.
John Muir students have the option of taking college-level courses during the school day at the PCC building located on their campus. “Our program is really about investing in the girls and taking time to nurture their social and emotional health,” said Executive Director Tamieko Foster, who founded the Miss Black Pasadena contest in 2018. “What I always try to remind people is that this is not a beauty pageant. This is a mentor and scholarship program, so zero percent of our program is focused on looks or outward appearance at all. We really try to focus on the inside and beautify that part.” As newly crowned “queen,” Gray said she feels grateful for what she learned in the process. “It was just very fulfilling. I feel like I put a lot into the program and just to be recognized was amazing. It was nice to know that I’m going to represent my community and represent Pasadena.” As a Mandarin Chinese speaker, Gray chose to volunteer last summer assisting teachers at her alma mater, Field Elementary School, home to a Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program in PUSD. Gray advocates for equity across the district as a member of the PUSD Student Think Tank. She is also a city ambassador volunteer at community events. Gray said she always pushes herself “to do the most, to have the most extracurriculars, to do the most AP classes and the most PCC classes.” However, after going through the process of earning competition points by attending educational workshops, meeting empowerment experts, and by simply talking to her fellow contestants, Gray realized how important it is to take care of her own well-being. She decided to carve out time to relax and cut back on her course load. “That was such a relief and really helped me do better in my other classes because I didn’t have the stress. That’s just one example of how Miss Black Pasadena is helping me academically,” Gray said. Gray’s dad, Lawton Gray III, is also principal of John Muir High School Early College Magnet. Lawton Gray said he and his wife are extremely proud of their daughter and impressed with the program because it benefits all the young women who participate. “It really is an outlet for them to be able to find ways that they can make their lives better and their families’ lives better and their friends’ lives better. It’s something they can use going forward,” he said. Lauren Gray’s future is bright, thanks in part to her PUSD education. Eventually, she hopes to work in a legal career and become an agent of change on issues that impact marginalized communities. John Muir offers the only Early College Program in the district where all students can earn transferable college credit through a partnership with Pasadena City College. Find out more about PUSD Dual Enrollment at pusd.us/Page/5393. Find a KLRN Pasadena video on YouTube at Miss Black Pasadena 2023, Lauren Gray.
First published in the May 4 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
