Alumni Spotlight: Micah Gray
August 1, 2024 - Megan Borders
Micah Gray is a two-time Anderson graduate, BBA ’20 and MBA ’21. His college journey and career are testaments to his passion, motivation and relentless pursuit of excellence. This recently culminated in his election as the next president of UNM’s Young Alumni Chapter, a role he began July 1.
Inspired by his father's leadership as a pastor and a family deeply rooted in sports, Micah's commitment to hard work started young. In high school, he sold candles and mowed lawns to earn spending money, learning valuable lessons in persistence and sales.
His college journey started in 2017 when he spent the summer on campus fulfilling course requirements, attending grueling training sessions, and balancing work as a part-time employee for Student Housing. He played football for UNM for the next five years. His days began at 6 a.m. with training, then classes, homework, job duties, and, many times, ending the day with a second training session. His commitment led him to become a leader on and off the field.
Academically, he customized his business degrees to best suit his interest in investing. He credits his ability to obtain two degrees in five years to being advised by academic advisor Crystle Dorsey, who helped him navigate class scheduling and professional development opportunities. At her encouragement, he joined the Football Business Society (FBS). Through FBS, he was introduced to networking, lunch and learns and faculty talks. These opportunities opened his eyes and helped him create a plan for life after football.
He most remembers a finance talk with Professor Reilly White. After his engaging and spirited lecture about investing and the power of the stock market, Micah was hooked. Following this session he and his friends began investing in stocks.
Around this time, Micah was introduced to the real estate industry by a well-connected friend. With his athlete mindset and his entrepreneurial childhood endeavors as his foundation, Micah quickly set his sights on becoming a broker. He embraced every opportunity to learn from working professionals and leaders at real estate companies all around Albuquerque. He found his home with Sunvista Commercial Real Estate as a transaction coordinator and was soon promoted to real estate advisor when he earned his license. He takes a client-focused approach and enjoys finding creative solutions to his clients' challenges.
Micah exemplifies the drive to succeed daily. Instead of following a traditional path, he forged his own by customizing his academic journey and career specifically to his interests. He is most proud of being the first person in his family to obtain a graduate degree.
He advises students to never be afraid to buy a cup of coffee, always network and never underestimate the power of community, but above all, be kind. He added, “In Albuquerque, you are only one degree away from a job offer or being elected to a board.”
Micah Gray’s story can inspire students and recent graduates through his persistence, passion and ability to set and achieve goals. He exemplifies what the next generation can do.