Mr. Raye's current passions in teaching are a culmination of a broad spectrum of classroom experience. After a mentorship experience working alongside military-connected students abroad, he developed a strong passion for education and decided to pursue a career in elementary teaching. He began in 3rd grade and went on to teach both 4th and 5th grades for many years.

Over the past five years, his time in the first grade classroom has deepened his love for inspiring young readers through intentional, high-quality instruction. His entrepreneurial spirit has also led him to explore a number of e-commerce ventures—most recently, the launch of Truism Tradepost.

Mr. Raye finds deep inspiration in his own journey as a reader. Growing up, he never really enjoyed reading, and it wasn’t until later in life that he discovered its true value. Because of this, he understands what it feels like to struggle with reading and wants his students to find their purpose for reading much earlier than he did. This is what fuels his passion: helping students get past the frustration of all those words that don’t seem to “follow the rules” of phonics. He knows that once these sight words become familiar, they no longer feel intimidating – they simply become obvious and open up the world of reading in a whole new way.

The TEACHERism category, in particular, reflects the heart of this journey: where entrepreneurship and teaching come together. It represents his desire to impact students beyond the four walls of his classroom and create tools that support both educators and learners in meaningful ways.