TrAVERES "Tray" White

Meet Mr. Tray White. He is the Dean of Student Life at Francis W. Parker. This is his first year working at Parker and he has been in Chicago for eight months so far. He told us he really enjoys Chicago and loves the food here. He recently developed a love for blues music and enjoys visiting blues venues in his free time. He really enjoys his work here at Parker and was eager to tell us all about it in his interview.

As the new Dean of Student Life at Francis W. Parker, Mr. White manages all the clubs, sports, and affinity groups for Middle School. He was interviewed by students to get the job. Mr. White was really nervous coming into that interview. He told us, “I remember a student asked me: ‘If you could be any animal, what would it be?’ I said I would be a bird. A falcon, to be specific. And I really liked that question.”

Mr. White told us about his current schedule. When he first gets here, he checks his calendar for meetings. Then he tries to answer questions and help solve problems that students and faculty have. Once he finishes that, he begins his duty as a seventh grade co-advisor (with Ms. Kate Tabor) if it's his turn to do so, and then he attends meetings. Mr. White then goes to MX, finishes up emails, plans meetings, and breaks up time to chat with people. He really enjoys his job overall because he gets to work alongside many talented colleagues. One thing he wants to change about Parker is that he wishes students would have more help on how to organize themselves. Mr. White likes to integrate himself with students by eating lunch with them and attending many events. He loves working here and said that he has learned so much: “These interactions [with students] have taught me so much about communication and life.” Mr. White explained his point of view and said, “We all have different insights and we all grow differently.” Overall, he finds his job here fulfilling and he wants to stay at Parker as long as they’ll have him.

“I love this job because it gives me the opportunity to do what I’ve never done before, travel to where I’ve never been before, and go back to places I’ve gone before.”

When looking for a job, Mr. White wanted to find a position in which he could use all of his skills to help others, and this job lets him do just that. Before this, Mr. White was a counselor in Georgia for six years. In his past job, he worked more directly with the students, but here at Parker he works more with faculty and staff. He says he only uses about twenty percent of his prior job knowledge in his current job. Though Mr. White still has dreams of helping people by working with the FBI, being an entrepreneur, and working as a lawyer, he says helping others here is just as meaningful.

Mr. White grew up in the Savannah, Georgia area. He went to a Catholic military school and mentioned that he needed discipline as a child. He greatly appreciates what his past schools have taught him. In middle school, Mr. White participated in a lot of sports like football and basketball. He participated in the school newspaper and the student council. Outside of school, he worked on a second newspaper. Mr. White told us the story of how he got interested in coaching and teaching. When he was a senior in high school and sending out recruiting videos of himself playing football to colleges, Mr. White was inspired by his coach. Mr. White remembered all his coach had taught him and how much better he had made him. From then on, Mr. White knew he wanted to coach and inspire others the way his coach had inspired him. He also mentioned that these past experiences influenced him a lot and he wouldn’t be standing here today without them.

“Interacting with students teaches me so much about life, so much about being a human. … Seeing you all grow up and figure this life thing out gives me perspective and insight into how I view other people.”

Organizing clubs, affinity groups and sports is only a fraction of Mr. White's job at Parker. When a student would like to make a new club, Mr. White hopes the student is motivated and ready to explore his or her topic. Mr. White wants others to be interested in the topics as well. Our group asked him what percentage of kids’ proposals he accepts to make clubs, and his answer was that ninety percent of the time he says yes and the clubs are formed. We asked him if there were any clubs, sports or affinity groups offered at his school growing up. He answered that football, student-led newspapers, and other extracurricular activities were available to him. At Parker, Mr. White not only organizes activities, but also coaches the 7th grade basketball team, which he said he really enjoys. Mr. White plays a very helpful role in the Parker community and ensures functionality in clubs and activities.

Mr. White was a joy to interview and is a great addition to the Parker community. We enjoyed learning about him and his job, and he answered our questions very well. We thank him for interviewing with us and are so glad to have him here at Parker.