The Wall of Cadets. The cadets at Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy work hard and drill hard and have teamed with the vision of their mentors to build something very special in Bladen County.
IMPRESSIVE CADENCE
The Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy is an education center of honor and integrity.
Dr. Jason Wray is the superintendent of the Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy. He took over a school that was failing in the state for overall grade point and in four years, he has taken the young cadets from an “F” rating to a “C” rating and they are still climbing the charts. He is pictured in the gymnasium donated by the US Army in Fort Bragg, dismantled by people in Bladen County and moved to Elizabethtown.
ELIZABETHTOWN – When you enter the Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy, you are left speechless by the discipline and poise that’s demonstrated not just through the students but the faculty as well.
Not just in the way they carry themselves but through the often-wordless actions they take and the way they interact with each other and the people around them.
Paul R Brown Leadership Academy has had a long history within Bladen County. Over a decade of history in fact. Now under the leadership of superintendent Jason M. Wray, the school is reaching new heights in its pursuit of academic excellence and success for its students.
Wray isn’t a native to Bladen County but according to him, the community has opened its arms and welcomed him ever since he started with the school in 2015. He comes from a background in the military which he is retired from. This background in his words allows for him to lead the school with discipline and strength as well as a love for teaching the skills and habits that can lead toward success.
“I’m just a kid who learned to value education and how it can change lives,” Wray said.
Wray came to Paul R. Brown after being the acting principal of East Bladen High School for a year. According to Wray, the greatest accomplishment is seeing the children learn and embrace their creativity while also learning life skills along the way.
“It’s definitely a different school environment for someone who doesn’t have any prior military experience. To see students performing and conducting themselves in that way can be an eye opener,” said Wray.
The Academy’s Corps of Cadets perform all over and showcase the skill and determination of the school as well as the students’ accomplishments that they’ve achieved throughout their time at the Academy. They also assist the local community in events and call the colors as well as lead the Pledge of Allegiance at meetings.
“Kids often have a realization ‘oh I’m in a military school’ once they get here but once they get inside the building, they become a part of it and they fall in love with it. It’s structured, there’s no drama and no fighting. They end up realizing they like it that way,” said Wray.
According to Wray, bad behavior doesn’t equate to a lack of ability.
“These aren’t bad kids. These are kids with ability, and they need someone who can capture and latch onto that ability,” said Wray.
When he was a child, someone believed in Wray’s ability and saw him not as a problem child but as someone who needed structure. This person was a basketball coach who saw the way Wray would start trouble and gave him a lesson in respect and discipline.
“He just told me, ‘Hey you can’t come back,’ So when all of my friends went to play I couldn’t, I had to earn my way back there.”
This lesson led Wray on his path and has dictated the way he oversees both the school and its students.