A journey of resilience, growth and the power of community is that of Chris Grepo, an alum of Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch. His story begins in the inner city of Los Angeles, California, where he found himself entangled in gang activity and struggling to find the support every child needs. Desperate for a way out, Chris looked up to his older brother, who had found a path to a better future through Boys Ranch. Following in his brother’s footsteps, Chris made the life-changing decision to leave behind the dangers of Los Angeles and embrace a new beginning in the Texas Panhandle, where life slows down, and people connect deeply with one another.
“It was a huge lifestyle change, but it was welcoming,” Chris said. “It was like a breath of fresh air, doing something different. I was getting involved with the wrong people, and I needed out. Boys Ranch gave me the opportunity to try new things and realize my potential.”
Chris wasted no time immersing himself in the numerous extracurricular activities Boys Ranch offered. His days were packed from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. as he pursued sports, agriculture and journalism. He admired his brother, who had also thrived at Boys Ranch, and Chris wanted to follow in his footsteps by being involved in athletics. He soon found himself competing in wrestling, track and field and football.
Beyond sports, Chris discovered a passion for journalism, where he connected with a teacher who would inspire his future.
“Miss Robinson was tough on us, but she really got us in shape,” he said. “Her classroom was one of those places you could go to when you were having a rough day. I try to make my classroom like hers now.”
After graduating, Chris continued his journey, attending college and serving in the U.S. Navy as a Corpsman and rescue swimmer. His military career took him to Iraq for two tours, where he earned the nickname “Doc.” Later, he pursued a degree in Mass Communication from West Texas A&M University and began teaching clinical medicine at the University of Virginia at Norfolk. It was here that Chris began confronting his posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety through public speaking, using teaching as a form of therapy.
“At first, I was terrified of public speaking, but I needed to overcome it,” Chris said. “Teaching became a kind of treatment for me. Public speaking triggered my PTSD, and I knew it was something I needed to beat. Over time, it got easier, and I learned how to improve.”
Though he found success in Virginia, Chris always felt a pull back to Texas. He and his family relocated to Borger, Texas, where he now teaches middle school science.
“Teaching middle school is harder than teaching college students. They’re more inquisitive, always challenging you to think critically. That’s the kind of investment my teachers at Boys Ranch made in me, and it’s what I want to give to my students,” Chris said. “They need somebody to be able to rely on when life is going terrible. The knowledge and education are great but it’s not everything.”
Chris has a note on his desk that he once wrote to himself. The note reads, “students won’t care what you know until they know that you care.” He said that is the kind of investment students want from him in order to provide an education to them.
“We saw the compassion of Christ through all the people who gave back to us when we needed it. It was a very humbling experience, but God finds a way to humble us so we can grow.”
Chris’s commitment to his students and community extends beyond the classroom. In March 2024, when wildfires swept through the Borger area, the Grepo family’s home was destroyed. Despite the devastation, Chris and his wife experienced an outpouring of support from the community. His former teacher, Miss Robinson, was one of the first to offer help, allowing the Grepos to stay in her home while they worked to rebuild. Their church family at Fairlanes Baptist Church of Borger, United Way and Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch Alumni Services also stepped in with financial assistance.
“I admit, Miss Robinson’s house wasn’t home, which we were really missing, but it was a roof over our heads, and we were blessed to have that,” Chris said. “We didn’t know what was going to happen in the beginning. There was a lot of fear of the unknown during that time. There were so many people like Miss Robinson who helped us, and we knew God sent them to us.”
Before the fire, Chris and his wife raised chickens and wanted to grow their farm from 180 chickens to 5,000 and build a retirement plan from that. The only survivors of the fire were their three ducks hiding in a pin. Chris used the donations to buy the land back from his landlord and rebuild all they lost.
“My wife and I felt kind of insignificant as teachers,” Chris said. “We’re in the background and sometimes people don’t know what goes into the education of their children. Then we got all this attention, and we didn’t understand how to process it all because we had never been put in that position before. We saw the compassion of Christ through all the people who gave back to us when we needed it. It was a very humbling experience but God finds a way to humble us so we can grow. Through all of this I realized that there is a lot of support around us, and we always have what it takes to rebuild.”