Pacesetter - Spring/Summer 2010 - Dreams
Different dreams blend into sweet harmony
by Julie thompson
God placed a song in Nadine Grey’s heart when she was 4 years old, and she hasn’t stopped singing since.
Less than two decades later, the young Jamaican woman has learned to use her talent as a way of communication both to others and between herself and God. The Christian songs and hymns she sings daily are her way of sharing her faith and proving her love to her Creator.
She’s learned over the years to move only when she knows God is in the next step. So, when God calls, she listens and follows with an obedient heart.
That’s how the 23-year-old ended up moving from her home on the East Coast to Kettering to attend nursing school. Nadine has always loved music and has made singing a major priority. Still, her mom encouraged her to build a career outside of her vocal talents. She decided the medical field was something she might like and went looking for a small college.
Kettering College was a good fit.
“I prayed and said, ‘God, if you want me there, then make it happen,’” she said. “Within a week, I packed my bags and told my mom I was moving to Ohio.”
Grey initially thought she would like to be a physician assistant but then changed her major to nursing after seeing her roommate get so enthusiastic about the degree. Now she finds herself pursuing two passions: nursing and singing.
“I’m trying to combine two dreams that I have, and so far it is working out pretty well,” she said.
Despite the demands of nursing school, Nadine is still finding ways to let her singing soar. She has connected with two different music managers in Dayton who help her record songs she has written. She sings for weddings and writes music for Christian plays. Her demanding school schedule often keeps her from spending time in the recording studio, so she records on her Mac in the Residence Hall.
Shortly after coming to Kettering College, Grey entered an online Christian singing contest. She started out as one of 100 competitors, singing songs from a variety of genres. Over several weeks, online voting carried her all the way to the top five. The accomplishment won her a trip to Austin, Texas, where she sang for a chance at No. 1. She didn’t get the top prize, but in the end, she felt like a winner.
“People I had never met would stop me on my way to class and tell me they voted for me,” she said. “It just really warmed my heart.”
/Grey has two more semesters left in nursing school; after that, she plans to go on to get her master’s degree. Her hope is to become a labor and delivery nurse. Meanwhile, she hopes to keep her singing dreams alive. Whatever she does, she has one goal in mind: that it is done for the honor and glory of God.
