22 PEOPLE
THE PRINCIPAL OF KINDNESS:
MEET DR. TRAYLOR
The impeccably dressed opera singer working to enhance the middle school experience one interaction at a time. ZAK KERR, associate editor
D
ressed in a spruce red suit with a matching bow-tie and an infectious smile, Dr. Nigel Traylor, the new HIES Middle School principal popped out from behind the Middle School Administrative Suite eager to begin our interview. As we walked to his office, a neat and meticulously organized space, illuminated by natural light, I could not help but take note of Dr. Traylor’s tremendous energy; it was as though I were conversing with the Energizer Bunny himself.
Aside from his many degrees, including a doctorate in educational leadership, Dr. Traylor possesses an innate talent for the musical arts which he studied on a full-ride scholarship at Clayton State University.
Energetic indeed. “[Dr. Traylor] is out and about and in the classrooms all the time. He even goes out during recess and plays four-square with the kids,” recounted Karen Anderson, the Middle School Administrative Assistant.
After much conversation about our mutual love for opera, Dr. Traylor recalled how he discovered his “God given talent” for singing. It was at Clayton State University that Dr. Traylor vividly recalls having starred in the Opera by Menotti, “The Old Maid and the Thief.” After the Opera, Dr. Traylor noted how, “[Opera] was something that just connected with my soul and spirit.” Inspired and enamored, he began studying the work of Puccini, Mozart, and all of the Italian operas and Arias.
As Dr. Traylor and I sat down in the surprisingly comfortable chairs surrounding his office coffee table, he carefully rearranged the feng shui of the fruit and mints on his table as though he were a computer scientist soldering the circuitry on a computer chip. A plethora of diplomas and other academic accolades hung behind his desk; indicative of an extensive academic journey.
“I remember having a very small, forty-nine keykeyboard. It was a Casio, and I just taught myself how to play the piano. I would stay up all hours of the night, in my room, playing the piano; when I played Moonlight Sonata for my parents on this 49 Casio, they were like, ‘we’ve gotta get you a piano.’ They got me a piano and the rest is history.” he said.
Born in Fort Benning, Georgia, Dr. Traylor had loving, yet, tough parents. His father served in the military, worked in law enforcement, and later became the
president of a school board while his mother was an early childhood educator. When discussing his parents, Dr. Traylor lit up as he immediately recalled when his father would ask him, “Did anybody tell you that they love you today?” if Dr. Traylor had responded no, his father would say, “I love you and now go and tell your mother you love her.” At the same time, Dr. Traylor recalls his father “running a tight ship” and pushing him to excel in his academics. Dr. Traylor had a simple and joyous childhood. He recalls his favorite memory from childhood being shortly after he moved to Fort Stewart, “I met this friend, Jason, and I can remember he was my best friend. We would sit on the front porch of my parents’ house where we would eat these Mickey Mouse ice cream pops without a care in the world. It was utter bliss.” While Dr. Traylor has a brilliant mind and the matching sophistication, he also possesses a deeply empathetic soul; his heart exudes positivity and compassion with every beat. “Fun-loving, fair, respectful, kind, and genuine” are just a few of the many words used by his colleagues to describe his personality. Perhaps, this is