The Leesville community is full of fantastic teachers, administrators, and coaches–but it’s the Leesville staff members that take it upon themselves to go above and beyond that truly make a difference within our community.
Meet Mr. Geoffrey Travagline; a Leesville staff member who wears many hats — teacher, coach, and club sponsor. Despite working for Leesville only two years, Travagline has already had a profound impact on the community.
“History has always been my jam, for as long as I remember I have loved everything history,” said Travagline. “As a young child I played a computer game called Age of Empires which really got me into history and its lore. From that point my love for history grew until it became obvious I could do something long-term with it.”
Travagline teaches both World History and American History I here at Leesville. He works hard to make sure his students both comprehend and learn to enjoy the subject he teaches them. Travagline believes in nurturing his student’s strengths as well as revealing their weaknesses for further improvement–nothing is too great for helping his students succeed.
“Trav is really dedicated to his students and to his career…and he is more than willing to help you out if you need it. He’s different than some other teachers because he looks out for you as a person,” said Bella Hamon, a sophomore at Leesville and a student of Travagline.
Another hat Travagline wears is one of a coach–a track and field coach to be specific. He coaches cross country in the fall, indoor track in the winter, and shot put and discus in outdoor track in the spring. He certainly made a lasting impression on many athlete’s lives, despite that the 2016-2017 school year was his first as a coach.
“When it comes to running, he’s definitely made me a better person. He’s very motivational, he keeps me on track with my goals in life, and he keeps reminding me of what I want to do,” said Amber Mitchell, a track athlete and sophomore at Leesville. “What makes him different is that he’s very relatable–he knows what we go through as students and understands when we need someone to talk to or when we need a push.”
Travagline is also the cosponsor of both the Speech and Debate Club the Weightlifting Club. Travagline doesn’t believe in participating in activities he can’t enjoy– as a result, he puts everything he has into these clubs. Both speech and debate and weightlifting have been instrumental in the last decade of Travagline’s life. He promotes the benefits of these clubs in student’s lives to perhaps instill a similar sort of love for them that he carries with him in his own life.
“Is my goal to make a difference in students/athletes’ lives? No,” said Travagline. “My goal is to provide my kids the tools to reach the differences, those big moments themselves. Sometimes they need a nudge, a hug, a cheer, a harsh lesson or a congratulations and if the by-product makes a difference, awesome. Making a difference in the Leesville community as a whole needs to start with the individual in the community. In order to truly contribute and make your community a better place, I believe you need to first be confident in yourself with the possibilities and promise you bring to the world.”
Although Mr. Travagline is still young and new to the Leesville community, we can only look to the future and expect great things from this special staff member of Leesville Road High.
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