Malik Bazzell, Principal

How long have you been working as a principal here?

I started in 2015.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

Aruba.

What type of music do you like to listen to?

It’s a mixture, definitely 90s and early 2000s hip hop, pop from the mid 2000s when my daughter was 7 or 8, like Carley Rae Jepsen, because I used to have to listen to it all the time, I started liking it. And then I would say adult contemporary like Maroon 5, stuff like that.

What movies or shows have you been watching lately?

Lately, I’ve been watching The Penguin.

What is your favorite local restaurant or business?

I would say my favorite would be Mum’s, it’s a Jamaican restaurant.

What is something you’d like Wakefield to know about you?

I think everybody knows I love BoJangles iced tea.

Anything else?

Being here 9 years and seeing the changes and growth in place over the years makes me really proud of the work that we’ve all done here as a staff.

Heather Acrey, Assistant Principal

How long have you been working as a principal here?

This is my 4th year.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

Anywhere with salt water.

What type of music do you like to listen to?

I would consider myself a little bit eclectic. I’m a Taylor Swift fan, but I also like 90s alternative music. I grew up listening to 90s country, but I don’t like that as much anymore. 

What movies or shows have you been watching lately?

I’ve been into The Bear, it’s on Hulu and it’s a restaurant style show. I worked in restaurants for a long time so it kind of just reminds me of those frustrating days.

What is your favorite local restaurant or business?

Tlaquepaque is pretty delicious. I also like to go to Strike and Barrel.

What is something you’d like Wakefield to know about you?

No. I love my job here. And I think what I love most about this job is seeing you all grow.

Anything else?

I’m always down for new podcast recommendations. 

Catina Cain, Assistant Principal

How long have you been working as a principal here?

I’ve been working here as an assistant principal for three years.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

My favorite vacation spot has to be Jamaica.

What type of music do you like to listen to?

I love everything. I listen to anything from gospel to rap to R&B to pop. I’ve even sat down and listened to my son listening to heavy metal.

What movies or shows have you been watching lately?

I’m big on crime shows, so any of the Law & Order, FBI, any of those kinds of shows.

What is your favorite local restaurant or business?

I like to eat out but I don’t really have a favorite.

What is something you’d like Wakefield to know about you?

Understanding that even though I’m an administrator, we tend to see students with their issues, things that are challenging or difficult. As an educator at heart, I started in education as a teacher, in terms of being student-centered, and what’s best for children is always gonna be number one for me even when students think I’m being hard on them. Ultimately it’s about what’s in the best interest for the children.

Anything else?

I guess if there’s a fun fact to know, I lived in Mexico for a semester, and was at one point fluent in Spanish.

Ryan Cummings, Assistant Principal

How long have you been working as a principal here?

I became an assistant principal in March of 2020.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

[wherever] it’s warm and there’s water, Key West is one of my favorites.

What type of music do you like to listen to?

A little bit of everything, I kind of like the older hip-hop.

What movies or shows have you been watching lately?

I like documentaries, crime shows, and even some Food Network.

What is your favorite local restaurant or business?

I don’t, and I think the reason I don’t is because I like a variety of things, so I like to try new places and different types of food.

What is something you’d like Wakefield to know about you?

I think my disposition sometimes may not portray it, but I think I have a pretty good sense of humor.

Anything else?

I hope everyone who reads this enjoys their time at Wakefield and makes the most of their high school opportunities.

Beth Keefer, Assistant Principal

How long have you been working as a principal here?

This begins year 7.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

The mountains of North Carolina, which are pretty sad right now.

What type of music do you like to listen to?

I listen to a ton of different music, definitely Taylor Swift, I also love a lot of 90s hip-hop and rap, so kind of all over the place.

What movies or shows have you been watching lately?

I’ve really enjoyed The Penguin. I don’t watch as many movies but definitely anything that’s like a true crime podcast. House Of The Dragon was really good, I love the Mandalorian.

What is your favorite local restaurant or business?

There’s a new plant store, because I’m obsessed with plants, it’s called Copperline Plants. I’m really a big fan of Oro in downtown Raleigh, and then there is The Border Restaurant in Wake Forest, it’s a really old kind of dive breakfast place.

What is something you’d like Wakefield to know about you?

I think I would want them to know that this is year 27 in education. I love the students, I think that I’d also want folks at Wakefield to know that even though I seem really busy, I always have time for people.