Ayana Grady
Director of Youth Ministries
Ayana Grady joined the St Mark’s Staff in July of 2006 as the Director of Youth Ministries. Ayana grew up at St Michael’s Episcopal Church in Gainesville, Florida, where she was active in the church’s youth group as well as Young Life. After her high school graduation in 1997, Ayana attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where she majored in history with a minor in Religious Studies. In the summer of 2000, Ayana worked as a counselor at Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center, and that summer confirmed to Ayana that God was calling her into full time youth ministry. In 2001, after her college graduation, Ayana accepted a position as dual youth minister to two churches in the Diocese of Florida—St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Federal Point, Florida and St Thomas Episcopal Church in Palm Coast, Florida. After three years of productive ministry, she answered the call to serve as Director of Youth Ministries and Christian Education at St Peter’s Episcopal Church in Plant City, Florida. At St Mark’s, Ayana is in charge of the EYC program for youth in 6th-12th grades, as well as an advisor for the Confirmation program for 9th graders. In the Diocese of Florida, Ayana is an active member of the Happening Steering Committee, and a former member of the Diocesan Youth Ministries Commission. Ayana’s interests include reading, music, sign language, and watching romantic comedies.