Alumnus Tevyn Grayson is Living his Dream

Local entrepreneur and Kalamazoo Valley Community College alumnus Tevyn Grayson is living his dream. The 30-year-old Kalamazoo native is a proud father of two, enjoys a fulfilling career and maintains a healthy work/life balance.

Grayson graduated from Kalamazoo Valley in 2015 with an associate degree in accounting. The experience played an important role in inspiring him to pursue his goal of entrepreneurship. He currently owns several businesses, with Grayson Accounting Service being his most successful.

"I'm doing what I love," Grayson said. "I enjoy interacting with clients and growing meaningful connections within the community. I took everything I learned at Valley and used it to move myself forward in life. It was a very comforting experience and helped me figure out what I wanted to do."

Grayson graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School in 2011 and was dual-enrolled at the college during his senior year. "I was thinking about attending Western Michigan University at first, but felt it wasn't the right fit for me," he explained. "Kalamazoo Valley was a logical next step because of the level of educational accessibility it offers."

After graduating from college, Grayson began developing his professional career. Prior to establishing Grayson Accounting Service in 2020, he held several managerial and supervisory positions, including finance and human resources manager with People's Food Co-op in Kalamazoo. Grayson credits his experience at Kalamazoo Valley as an asset to his endeavors.

"I especially value the real-world skills that I learned and continue to apply in my career," Grayson said. "The college's instructors were great at presenting the information they taught in a relatable way that kept me engaged in learning useful ways to utilize those skills in my everyday life."

Grayson advocates for financial literacy, mental health and strives to create success pathways for Black youth. His long-term goal for Grayson Accounting Service is to expand the organization into a large unit of employees equally passionate about helping people overcome obstacles.

"I'm definitely invested in uplifting the Kalamazoo community," he said. "I always try to make sure that the connections I make locally provide information and resources to those who need it. I think that is an important part of what I do."

Grayson will present two free financial literacy and entrepreneurship workshops this February at Kalamazoo Valley. The first presentation takes place Feb. 8 at the Texas Township Campus in Room 4240 from noon to 1:15 p.m., and the second on Feb. 29 from 2 to 3:15 p.m. in Room 129 at Anna Whitten Hall in downtown Kalamazoo. Lunch will be provided. RSVP by emailing Trice Batson, Kalamazoo Valley director of diversity and inclusion, at . Click here to learn more about Grayson Accounting Service.