Meet our newest returning staff member in an exclusive interview, as we talk hobbies, new environments, and...cilantro?
Vice Principal Nakielny, the newest Edison Academy staff member, returning to the Academy after six years at our sister campus in East Brunswick.
Image Credits: Ms. Isabel DaSilva/The Eagle Eye
By Deeya Mulchandani
September 25th, 2023
Interview Transcript
Deeya: First up—how exactly do I pronounce your name correctly?
Ms. Nakielny: It's helpful If you ignore the “i.” It’s Nuh-kehl-nee.
D: Nakielny. Is that a Polish name?
N: It is a Polish name!
D: Cool! I’ve seen a few like it before. Alright, so my first real question—can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Hobbies, interests, something casual?
N: Sure. I love to cook, I love to read, and I go between my Kindle and actual books. The library and the beach are my happy places…I also love horseback riding.
D: Interesting. Horseback riding?
N: I started going when I was really young. My dad used to take my brother and me, and I just really loved it. I love sports. I used to play soccer growing up, and I love football—Saturdays are college football Saturday, and Sunday is my football day. That’s my weekend.
D: Sounds fun! Next question: what’s your educational and career background? Were you a high school teacher at some point?
N: I was not a high school teacher, but I was an elementary school teacher. Educationally, I’ve done my bachelors at Penn State and my masters at TCNJ, and I went back for my principal certification through Kean. The first time I came to the Academy, thirteen years ago, I came as a counselor, and now I’m back here in a different role.
D: Why did you choose to come back to the Academy? Is there a specific reason?
N: Honestly, I actually applied for the principal position as well. I interviewed for that job, and at the end of the summer, Mr. Diaz, the superintendent, asked what I thought about coming over here as assistant principal. It didn’t really take much thought. I loved being here the first time, and it’s a nice change of pace.
N: So while I loved the environment at East Brunswick for the six years I was there, I am very happy to be back. I love the students and how hard everyone works, and how passionate everyone is. The faculty here—phenomenal—and I’m just glad to have a chance to work with everybody.
D: And we’re glad to have you here, too! Hopping off of that, what do you think is different about the Academy from when you worked as a counselor here? What have you seen change?
N: I think I’m still figuring that out. While I’m someone who’s very eager to just jump right in—I’m trying to take a step back and watch to see the changes that have taken place and see what everybody loves about the Academy, and to see also what everybody wishes was different, to figure out where I fit in as support.
D: That’s a very logical approach. Next question: What exactly is the role of the vice principal versus the principal, and what does a day in your life look like at the Academy?
N: I think Mr. Mosaad’s position is more global, he has a lot more things behind the scenes that he has to take care of on a daily basis. I feel my role is going to be more boots on the ground, getting to know everybody, talking one-on-one, very hands-on. But so far, so good!
D: Awesome! Glad to hear that. And for fun: What’s a controversial/unpopular take that you have?
N: I can tell you that I don’t like cilantro. It tastes very, like, minty, like a very fresh—if you’ve ever had a peppermint patty? The strongly cooling sensation in your mouth? I don’t like that.
D: Really? Out of curiosity, does cilantro kind of taste like soap to you? I ask because there’s actually a certain genetic predisposition that some people have, that when they eat cilantro, it tastes soapy to them—and that’s why they don’t like it.
N: Huh. That’s interesting, I had no idea.
D: Yeah, maybe you’ll want to look into that. And to wrap it up: is there anything you want to share with students, or anything else you’d like to add?
N: I want everybody to know that I’m always accessible. Even though my office is between two math classrooms and the doors are technically closed, my door is virtually always open. I tend to always go into counselor mode, and I’m happy to help anybody with anything.
D: Thank you for the interview today, it was a pleasure meeting you!
N: You’re very welcome, thank you.
Final Thoughts
From that eleven-minute interview and various other interactions I've had with Ms. Nakielny since the interview, it's clear to me that she's very happy to be back at the Academy. She's very kind, and did in fact show me around her office--a work in progress, but a space soon to be filled with wonderful memories. In that respect:
Let's welcome her with open arms, Academy.
Deeya Mulchandani is a monthly writer and website designer for the Eagle Eye. She loves cats, indie rock, and creating important & relevant content for Edison Academy.
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