Meet Reggie!

We are so excited to share our dedicated staff with you this year! Our parent volunteers have interviewed staff members so we can learn a little more about who they are and what makes them so passionate about their jobs. Please help us celebrate our talented team!

In this interview, Wiley mom Traci Rowe speaks to Wiley’s beloved custodian, Reggie.

Listen to the full interview here.

How long have you been the custodian at Wiley?
12 years.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Kids! Kids are awesome. They are still learning, you can just have fun with them, see how their days are going and encourage them.

What do wish people knew about your job that people might miss?

Hard question. I’ve thought about this a lot, I think some people might miss that this is more than just cleaning, its helping people and giving advice to people, advice to kids. Things you wouldn’t normally think about, like helping out kids who are having a rough day. I am being a role model and helping them like- “you don’t have to do it this way, may try this instead...”

Describe some interactions with students, teachers or staff that have been meaningful to you?

Well, Ms. Obrien had a Special Ed program at the school and one day they were playing UNO with the kids and I started playing them. I was having a good time and the kids liked the way I was playing with them, so she invited me to come back and play again. I was like, “Of course”. Then, one of the kids named, Cohen, left to go to middle school and he used to always talk to me about dinosaurs. He was one of those kids that knew more about dinosaurs than I could ever imagine! That summer when he left, he and his dad came back and brought me a T-rex. He built me a dinosaur out of his own Legos, not just a kit, and brought it to me. I was like, “You thought about me that much?” and he said, “Yes, of course.” It is in my office now.

What are some of your favorite things to do outside of work?
Fishing, working on cars, modifying cars. I just got a motorcycle from my father who had cancer and couldn’t keep it up. I rode it this morning and it was cold- that wind. I like, just the normal American stuff.

Who are the most important people in your life?
Family, as long as you got family you can get through life. My children, I got 3 of them, and want to make sure they can talk to me about anything. My wife, I love her, we support one another through it all, even in the bad moments. My mom... Family is everything.

Did you grew up here in Raleigh?
Yeah, well, Wendell. I’m a country boy, just fishing and riding and going outside to play.

What are some of your favorite foods or restaurants to go to?
It would be a shorter list to tell you what I don’t like. Let’s see, Chick-fil-A, everyone likes Chick-fil-A. Sit down restaurants. IHOP, I’m not sure why, but I like that you can get pancakes and a steak.

Do you like to cook?

Yes! You can’t cook, you can’t get fed. Took a grilling class with my father-in-law and we learned how to break down ribs and put the flavor profiles in there. I’m thinking about making a grill out of a file cabinet. I saw it on YouTube.

Who is your team?
Panthers, Tarheels, Hornets. North Carolina through and through.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where you go and why?
Germany. I’d like to go to Oktoberfest. They have it here, but I’d like to experience the real deal. I would like to go to all the other countries we have here too, China and Japan for the cultural aspects. I’d like to go to Japan because my daughter has always wanted to go there. She is an artist and into anime. I just want to make sure that I know all the rules and don’t step out of line. Maybe one day when I retire.

Anything else you’d like to share?
Wiley is the spot. I love it here. If this is going to be recorded for future reference:“ Take Care of my school and Go Wiley!” This is my fifteenth year teaching in Wake County! My previous school was Millbrook Elementary which is an Environmental Connections Magnet. I was there for seven years. Before that I taught at Sanford Creek Elementary which is a year round school in Rolesville. I was there for 7 years as well. Wiley is my base school so my son has already gone through K-5, now starting 7th grade. My daughter is going into 3rd grade this year. Wiley feels like home.