Sanders Ray Oakley is the son of Nathan and Deborah Oakley and the oldest of five children.
He enjoys reading, traveling with family, playing board games, watching Mississippi State University athletics, studying military history, and spending time outdoors.
Sanders has played trumpet for six years with the Starkville Homeschool Music Cooperative, and he is a member of the brass ensemble, the student choir, and the youth group worship ensemble at First Presbyterian Church of Jackson. Sanders has also served as a leader in Trail Life USA and as a volunteer for Operation Christmas Child and Neighborhood Christian Center.
Sanders will continue his education at Mississippi State University, where he is considering a degree in engineering with a goal of making his home state of Mississippi an even better place to live and raise a family.
He has long loved Romans 8:28 - “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”