When freshman Elizabeth “Lizzy” Gray enrolled at Northwest Mississippi Community College in the fall of 2007, the last thing on her mind was being the editor of the college’s yearbook, /The Rocketeer/.

“I was just sure that right after high school I would move off to New York, study fashion, and live the glamorous life I had always thought I wanted,” said Gray, who is a journalism major on the Senatobia campus.

“God had a very different plan for me.”

After serving a week in Ambato, Ecuador in the summer of 2007, Gray realized that her passion in life would be in missions. A graduate of DeSoto Central, Gray also did mission work in Bay St. Louis following hurricane Katrina.

“This summer I will be spending two months in the Philippines through work with the International Missions Board through our (Northwest) Baptist Student Union,” she said. Gray will be part of the media team that will photograph and document the work done on that mission.

“Part of my job will be to take photos and update a Web site that will show what we are doing,” she said. Gray says that experience will prepare her for a future that will incorporate both journalism and missions.

For now, she’s fighting the final deadline of the college’s 224-page, all-color yearbook. Gray joined the yearbook staff in August and was promoted to be the editor just before the end of the fall semester. She brought with her experience as a section editor for her high school book at DeSoto Central.

“I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be than here at Northwest.” said Gray. “Being able to work on this yearbook has been such a privilege and an honor, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

First-year journalism instructor Renate Ferreira is pleased with Gray’s performance as editor. “Lizzy's enthusiasm about the yearbook is evident in her work ethic. She has a great understanding of the amount of work that goes into putting together the yearbook. She also understands what great design is all about. I am very proud of Lizzy, and I am grateful for all that she has done for the yearbook. She has set a great example for the yearbook staff. We are very blessed to have her.”

Next fall Gray plans to return to Northwest where she will again be involved with the yearbook. When she’s not designing pages or taking photos for the yearbook, she works part-time at the Great American Home Store in Southaven.