2014-2015 Teacher of the Year & Scholarship Awardees
Ms. Reyzetta Cokely - teaches Math, Science, English, and Occupational Prep
My name is Ms. Royzetta L Cokely. I came to Reynolds High School after teaching for a few years at a middle school in Davie county. I felt the need for high school students was greater.
Since being at Reynolds High School I've had the privilege of meeting hundreds of students outside of my department.
An average day for me involves teaching Math, English, Science and/or Occupational Prep, walking through the halls and having students take my snacks, giving high fives to students, surprising the staff with food or desserts, and just filling in where there is a need. I have a total of 20 students that I teach this semester, but I really teach about 50 with the many that I tutor throughout the day. My students are all inspired to graduate to become self-sufficient. Part of my responsibility is to further develop their confidence, and expose them to all the opportunities that exist in the world. We do not accept defeat in our class. We continue to try until we have mastered the skill.
I'm a mother of two girls (Brianna, 17, and Alexis, 13). My daughters are my motivation. I believe in their success, and try to expose them to so much. Brianna currently aspires to become an obstetrician. Alexis wants to be a teacher. While at Salem College, my sister gave birth to twins (Roy and Royzetta). Royzetta died at ten days old. Both were born weighing 1.5 lbs. I spent a lot of time watching Roy overcome major obstacles. So during one of my January terms I decided to volunteer at the Special Children's School. This experience led me to wanting to work with students with disabilities. Although their challenges may be different than what we consider to be the average person, their gifts and talents are the same if not more. The years I've spent working in this field have taught me so much, and keep me humble.
My goals in this life are all centered around serving. I just want to help people all I can.
Jacob Weinberg
One of my favorite parts about Reynolds is how available the teachers were. Ever since sophomore year I knew I could go to any of my teachers like Mr. Bragg or Mrs. Freitag if I had any difficulty or needed a little extra help. Teachers really are the difference between an average and an outstanding school, and I can say that every teacher that I had at Reynolds was engaging, knowledgeable, and earnestly honestly enthusiastic about what they do. After hours I loved Reynolds’ array of different after school activities. There was a club or organization for virtually any interest whatsoever, and these clubs actually did things as opposed to just sitting around waiting for people to show up to meetings. I was a member or an officer in various clubs and organizations (Tri M, Photo Club, Drama Club, SNHS, Youth and Government, Young Dems, NHS), but my after school activities were normally occupied by rehearsing for an upcoming choral or drama performance. Socially speaking, I did much better than I thought I would. Coming from Summit School which I'd attended for 11 years: I was a bit nervous transitioning into a large public school. I was certain I'd get lost in the shuffle and disappear for three years. Luckily such was not the case. I was able to make friends very quickly, and I found myself on unexpectedly sturdy footing only a few months in.
I honestly cannot name one single favorite teacher. I really can't. It does not do Reynolds justice. As such I'll list all my favorite teachers and how they impacted me.
Mr. Wiley: I never knew what was coming next. Maybe it would be a story about his experience meeting Maya Angelo, maybe it would be a class conducted entirely without work, maybe it would be a Bell Biv Devoe cassette jam sesh, maybe it would be a rendition of Seasons of Love from RENT where he had unexpectedly tells me to take it when it came to the first full verse (and take it I did, thank you). Not only is he one of the only teachers who continues to put up with me, but he also did a very effective job of teaching me about civics and economics. Even though I had him in 10th grade I still use some of the concepts which I learned during his class in 12th grade AP Government and Politics. In fact his class was perfect primer for my Econ 101 course this semester. He did his job and he did it with never ending flare.
Mr. Allen: Mr. Allen's English 11 Honors Seminar was my first ever class at Reynolds. Sufficing to say, he started my career as a Demon on the right foot. His dry but witty humor and perfect deadpan delivery made class engaging and entertaining, and his obvious passion for his job made everyone in this class want to work harder and reach higher. Though we read some very weighty texts (like Les Miserables and Homer’s Iliad), for people who had just received their provisional licenses he gave us artistic latitude to demonstrate our comprehension of these works through song, dance, paintings, and script writing, or even short films. Mr. Allen is a genuinely kind and caring teacher who Reynolds should consider itself very fortunate to have.
Mr. Bragg: besides Mrs. Freitag, no name struck more fear in the heart to incoming sophomores than Joshua Bragg. It's mentioned brought to mind tough assignments, long hours of homework on Moodle, and - of course - the dreaded Gauntlet. What I was sure would be a difficult incomprehensible, unenjoyable course turned out to be one of my favorite classes. In fact I have Mr. Bragg to thank for preparing me to take AP Chemistry online through the North Carolina School of Science and Math. Because of his dedication and the gauntlet I was able to sail through the courses first semester.
Mrs. Akimbo: I had a bit of difficulty placing into the correct Spanish class during my sophomore year. I tried Spanish 111, but ultimately shifted to Spanish IV by the end of the first semester. Mrs. akimbo never had a bad day, and was always enthusiastic to be teaching. Her teaching - mostly in Spanish, but occasionally in English when it was time to get real - covered everything from inflation in Costa Rica and narcotraficantes in Argentina, punctuated by performances or presentations for the rest of the class. The material that we covered, including all 13 Spanish verb tenses, teed me up perfectly to take AP Spanish Language in the following year.
Mrs. Cruz: I had not taken an art class since elementary school summer camp at the Sawtooth Center, so I had no idea of the state of my artistic talent. I am so thankful for Art 1 and I and Mrs. Cruz in particular for exposing me to such an incredible variety of different art mediums. Mrs. Cruz teaches an introductory level arts course which may be required as per Reynolds’ arts magnet status, so the class students may have differing levels of motivation. Though teaching often tried her nerves and patience, Mrs. Cruz remained highly dedicated and motivated to teach art to all her students. She is bubbly and enthusiastic and never short on inspiration, especially when she installs her yearly string-inspired art installation in the atria.
Mrs. Moody: as an avid actor, I will try to be brief. I took Theater IV during my junior and senior years, and I considered the class my second family. I will never forget when my friend told me I was cast as the lead in the fall play Shakespeare's Coriolanus, and I was absolutely incredulous that Mrs. Moody had taken such a huge chance on me. I'm so thankful that Mrs. Moody trusted me enough for the lead role, and that experience allowed me to prove my theatrical ability to myself. The following semester her decision to cast me as Amos Hart in Chicago dealt the death blow to my fear of singing in public. In short Mrs. Moody challenged me with roles outside my comfort zone, and drove me to achieve more as an actor.
Mrs. Walters: I did not expect much from AP English Composition than the standard progression from English to Honors, but Mrs. Walters teaching equipped me well to write and argue effectively and concisely. Her dry sense of humor and deadpan delivery could be mistaken for apathy, but she was always available to provide feedback on my writing and how I could improve my prose. Her focus on debating gave me very valuable experience in researching and arguing a point and the weeks of prep work was most likely the reason that I scored a 5 in the AP exam. I know for a fact that even now I could drop into her class completely at random and feel welcome.
Mr. Hicks: I always knew that I appreciated music, but it was not until taking acapella with Mr. Hicks that I discovered how strong my passion was. I initially auditioned for acapella under the assumption I would only need to provide vocal percussion…and I was stiff as a board during my audition. I hardly sang a scale without feeling overwhelmingly nervous. He was somehow able to see how important music was to me before I was able to. Though I could never exactly tell what was in store during classes, Mr. Hicks’ musical acumen drove the 54-person ensemble to be the best that it could be. Even though our moderate efforts would have sufficed, Mr. Hicks would not stop pushing the ensemble until every single note in every single song was meticulously rehearsed, balanced, and ready to perform. This zany man - who could tell rambling angry anecdotes and explain the dynamic nuances of a Latin hymn using Panera macaroni and cheese as a metaphor - saw and earnestly believed in the potential of every single student in his classes. Mr. Hicks gave so much of himself to the program; his incredible unending belief and devotion in the class is what led to our success as an ensemble. I would have never known that I could sing, or how important music is to me, had I not taken acapella with Mr. Hicks.
Mr. Benbenati: As a fledging photographer, Mr. Benbenati happily let me into photo club and even printed me a press pass to get behind the scenes access to Reynolds sports games. I unfortunately never had him as a teacher, but the skills and knowledge I gained under his two legs were invaluable in proving my worth as a photographer in the Media Branch of the North Carolina Youth and Government, where I was ultimately appointed editor of the photography branch.
Mr. Hanf: While I never took a newspaper or yearbook course during my time at Reynolds, I worked with Mr. Hanf as a freelance photographer for the Pine Whispers and could frequently be found in the newspaper room during lunch or free periods. Even though I was not a PW staff member, Mr. Hanf always welcomed me with a brief glance up from the page he was typesetting and a friendly smile.
Ms. Bussolati: The fearless captain of the English Academic Team, Coach Nilel “ Nickles and Dimes” Bussolati never failed to put a smile on my face (or chastise me for ringing in prematurely when I had no idea what the correct answer was).
Mrs. Moody: I believe that it is widely-accepted common knowledge that Gloria Moody is the nerve center of Reynolds’ Media Center. As an occasional user of Reynolds’ library, I could always count on a friendly greeting from Mrs. Moody and a lighthearted conversation about school, teachers, politics, or life in general.
My average day at Reynolds began around 11:50 am when my friends and I would arrive in the Reynolds’ parking lot after carpooling back from Career Center. It was if it was an A day we'd all walk to Ms. Wiley's class for AP English Literature. We did everything from making collages and writing essays to reading passages and acting out of bridge versions of Hamlet. After that off to lunch where I'd normally drink a Carnation Breakfast Essentials because I always forgot to pack my lunch (and I was not very interested in cafeteria food). Some things never change! At 2:00 Sam and I would walk to the auditorium and spend the next 90 minutes rehearsing and refining our ever increasing repertoire in Acapella. I never knew exactly what to expect thanks to the man at the helm of the class: Mr. Terry Hicks. We rehearsed canticles in Latin one moment, then would switch to Broadway show tune or two, and finish things off with a pop song ostensibly arranged by Chloe Clements.
If it was a B day, my best friend Gray and I would drop off Sophie in the parking lot and then proceed to buy lunch somewhere off campus, more likely than not at Chick-fil-A. (We had a free period. We weren't playing hooky, per se). Grai and I would go back to his house and either do homework or rehearse a scene for theater. At 2:50, we’d leave for our fourth period Drama Class. (During the Senior assassins in the spring, this routine would also include a patrol of his garage and car to ensure there were no assassins waiting to soak him. Of course, the one day that Gray forgets to scout the perimeter he gets assassinated by someone from our English class). Once we returned to campus, we would return to the theater and spend the next 90 minutes in Drama IV performing scenes, having heated discussions about current events, reading through one act plays, and everything in between. If it was a show season, we'd drag our bags to the auditorium and prepare to spend the next three hours rehearsing.
While I loved every moment of my tenure as a demon, some of the fondest memories of the school were spent in Reynolds auditorium. I have yet to find the school whose auditorium rivals ours. It's hard to beat such a beautiful classically designed space with 1,896 seats, hundreds of lights, a digital sound system, a trap door used by Harry Houdini, and 90 years of history. I've spent countless Thanksgiving assemblies, musical performances, poet laureate presentations, and chorus concerts in the cavernous space…and I loved every single minute.
Just as I can't pick a favorite teacher, I honestly I have trouble picking a favorite class. Honors English ll taught me how to express myself through writing. Art l showed me that I am not a horrible artist. Honors Chemistry finally demystified chemistry. Honors Civics and Economics made me realize that politics, law, or the economy may very well become my career. Spanish lll and lV prepared me to face SRA. Jiminez during junior and senior year. AP English Composition schooled me of the power of the logical argumentation. Photography let me study and hone one of my favorite art forms. Theater lV gave me a family. AP English Literature taught me how to deconstruct the nuance between the written word. And Acapella made me realize that I can no longer live my life without music. All that said, the hardest class I took at Reynolds was beyond a doubt was Mrs. Freitbag’s Algebra ll honors class. One needed to be pretty darn attentive during class to avoid falling behind when she explained missed homework questions. The class in general moved at a blistering pace, and I repeatedly found myself in the unfortunate position of having an “aha moment” for the chapter that we finished weeks ago. I had to work hard in that class, which left me one of the few very few B’s on my transcript.
I wouldn't change much at RJR, but I do have a few suggestions. I wish we had a student government because almost every other school in the district had it except for us, and it would have been great way to get more experience with collaborating with other people. I wish we could build another building instead of using the trailers which are a bit of an eyesore on our otherwise very beautiful campus. More flowers and trees would be nice, as would less draconian restrictions on where students can go during lunch period. Yes, it's not a good idea to let students go off campus, but don't pin them up in the cafeteria. Academically speaking, I wish the school system would let Mr. Bragg teach AP Chemistry at Reynolds. While his class prepared me well for AP Chemistry online, I think the course would have been much more enjoyable had Mr. Bragg taught it. Also, mix some more arts in the curriculum. If I was being perfectly honest, I would much rather that Reynolds dumped the neighborhood school aspect and focus primarily on being the county's premier arts magnet school. I say this because we have an arts building and an absolutely gorgeous auditorium which I think should be used to their fullest. Alternatively, I really wish there was more support for the arts at a magnet school. Signs and banners announced football and lacrosse games, so why not promote the arts program equally as aggressively. Our upcoming musical concerts and recitals should be featured in every local newspaper and radio station weeks in advance because I sincerely believe that Reynolds produces very high quality art, and I wish there was more recognition for it. If I could change anything in my high school experience, I would love nothing more than to stand on stage for a musical or choral concert and see every single seat in our audience filled as the curtain is flown open. The only other thing i'd change is this addition of a stadium, but luckily we're working on it.
I am currently a freshman in the Honors College at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and my major is exploratory (meaning pretty thoroughly undecided). That said, I'm minoring in Philosophy, Public Policy, and Economics, as well as Spanish for law. Thus far as in the semester, I have joined the UNC cycle team, volunteered as a bicycle mechanic at a local bike co-op, become involved with Hillel, joined a Jewish acapella group, and found employment as a theatrical technician for Carolina Performing Arts at UNC's Memorial Hall. Next semester I plan on auditioning for more acapella groups and several student run theater troops. Additionally I will participate in a scuba elective offered by the Exercise In Sports Sciences Department which will culminate with my certification as a recreational driver, and I intend on enrolling in an EMT basic course so I may volunteer with the South Orange Rescue Squad during my sophomore year.
What I have not mentioned up until this point is that I was initially unenthusiastic about attending Reynolds. My ill- informed preconceived opinions of public schools led me to believe that my first year at Reynolds would be a difficult trek through mountains of homework and overenrolled classes taught by unenthusiastic teachers. My plan was to attend Reynolds for a year and then transfer to North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham, where I would live out my remaining junior and senior years. In short, Reynolds was just a stepping stone to something more.
The application process took months and involved essay writing, aptitude tests, a sitting for the SAT, and countless trips to the campus for orientation and informational events. Come January, I anxiously opened my admissions account to find that I had been accepted to Science and Math as a residential student. My family and I were beside ourselves! All the hard work and preparation had finally paid off! However, this came as a hollow victory to me because during the application process the last possible thing that I thought could happen, happened. I had fallen in love with Reynolds! Far from jaded faculty which I imagined, the teachers were all incredibly engaging and passionate about their work. The academics were intellectually stimulating and the school's vibrant arts scene called my name. A week later, when it came time for me to accept the offer, I respectively declined the offer of admission. As much as I valued the prospect of attending the nation’s first publicly funded science and math conservatory, on you that I could not leave the school that I had grown to love.
It is impossible to say what would have happened had I taken NCSSM's offer, or whether attending would have made me “better off,” but I do know beyond the shadow of a doubt that my decision to stay at Reynolds was the right one. Staying where I was helped me find my interest in humanities (especially English, civics, and history) gave me a solid group of lifelong friends, afforded me lifelong challenges at the North Carolina Governor’s School, in North Carolina Youth in Government, and made me realize that the arts are a more important part of my life than I thought. In short, the three years that I spent at Reynolds and the Career Center changed me for the better, and made me the person who I am today.
I believe I have accounted for virtually every experience that I enjoyed during my time as a Demon, but in case the point has not yet been driven home: I had, and to this day still have, great pride for my school. Given the remarkable faculty who brought so much passion to the classroom, the strong academics which prepared me for success in high school and beyond, and the vibrant artistic offerings, I can think of nowhere else I could have enjoyed my high school experience any more than at your (and now my) dear alma mater: RJ Reynolds High.