Edgecombe County mom selected to highly sought after Mayo Clinic internship

A mother from Edgecombe County has been selected for one of the most highly sought after medical internships in the country.

Crystal Gray, 47, is one of just four students chosen to intern in the operating room at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

Gray said she has always loved learning, but she had to focus on family instead for several years.

“I became a mother early at 16, and just always worked,” Gray said.

Gray was able to find steady jobs and get by, but her dream of a career in medicine never left her.

Gray took a leap of faith and enrolled in the surgical tech program at Edgecombe Community College (ECC). It was her first time back on a college campus since 1994. She is set to finish her degree in December.

One day, Gray’s instructor brought a flier to class. For the first time, the Mayo Clinic offered a summer internship in surgical tech.

However, if Gray got accepted, the program would start the week before her youngest daughter finished high school.

“I just said I could not miss her high school graduation, but I really wanted to apply,” Gray said. “And, I spoke with my daughter and she was like, ‘Mom, that’s amazing, go ahead and apply.’”

Gray submitted her application two days before the deadline. She interviewed the next week and she got selected for the internship the day after that. She then told her instructor at ECC.

“I texted her and she called me back and she was crying on the phone,” Gray said. “And I was all emotional and just in awe.”

Gray has worked at the hospital for a week now, telling WRAL News that it’s been a whirlwind. She’s hoping the internship could turn into an offer for a full-time job.

“I feel like I’m living my life in reverse,” Gray said. “I’m doing all the things that I wanted to do when I was younger, but I was a mother, and that obligation obviously came first.”

Gray said her journey proves that chasing your dreams starts with taking the first step.

“I want them to know that it’s not too late,” Gray said. “There’s a big support system.

“I just hope that my story and my accomplishments inspire others.”