Parent 2023 OF THE YEAR

Kimberly Walker Nailor

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced this spring the 2023 Mississippi Parent of the Year is Kimberly Walker Nailor, a mother of two students in the Vicksburg-Warren School District

Nailor was nominated by the school district and is described as a model parent who cares about her community and school district Because of Nailor’s enthusiasm, passion and dedication to the community and school district, students have been able to have more enriching experiences at school Nailor is employed as the city attorney of Vicksburg and always finds time to volunteer for the school district and the community She has invested in finding solutions to make the Vicksburg–Warren County community a better place for the development of students

Nailor’s rationale for being active in her children’s education is to maximize their academic and future success She believes the positive deposits override the negative withdrawals that children face, such as bullying, sickness, frustration with schoolwork and rejection� Being an engaging parent by managing extracurricular activities, homework assignments, parent meetings, school activities and volunteering in the classroom allows for consistent positive deposits in her children’s lives�

Nailor’s participation in various service-oriented activities and organizations has helped make the community a better place for student development She assisted financially in sponsoring and serving meals for football players before games and practices Due to lack of funding allot- ted to the athletic budget, there was no money for football players to have meals without voluntary assistance

In 2021, Nailor joined the Vicksburg High School (VHS) Booster Club, and they raised tens of thousands of dollars to sustain the athletics program

In 2019, she volunteered weekly in a sixth-grade classroom to assist the teacher with encouraging students to perform well on the state test The class was successful in passing the benchmark state test

As first reported by The Vicksburg Post, Nailor credits her family for inspiring her passion to support community initiatives and volunteerism�

“My parents, Ernest and Martha Walker — from the time we were little — were always going to nursing homes We were always volunteering and doing things in the community,” Nailor said “If there was a child that was at risk or just needed some guidance, they would take kids in so that they can teach them, ‘Hey, there’s another way besides the route that you’re going ’ So, this is something that’s been ingrained since I was a child, just knowing that we have a greater mission of doing the right thing and serving people ”

I have to get onto them; they’re boys,” she told The Vicksburg Post� “But the love that they have for me and the love that I have for them makes it easy to be a Parent of the Year� So, it’s not necessarily the things that I do for the school district ”

Other doors were opened for speaking engagements to classes about the field of law

Through her dedication to the community and school district, she has served on the parent committee for VHS, as chairperson for the Child and Parent Center, as advisory board member for both the West Central United Way and the Randy J Naylor Memorial Foundation and provided book scholarships to seniors She is currently the chairperson for the board of advisors of the Warren County Children’s Shelter and serves as VHS Mock Trial Advisor

So,

-Kimberly Nailor

That service-before-self upbringing makes it easy to be involved not only in the schools, but more importantly as an involved parent in the lives of her sons — Cameron Nailor, 16, and Brandon Nailor, 14

“My kids make it easy They’re good

With a passion to mentor, Nailor spearheaded weekly sessions from 2015-2016 for approximately 30 teenage girls at Warren Central Junior High School to build self-esteem and encourage proper lifestyle choices

Research has repeatedly shown that parental involvement is a critical factor in determining the academic success of students As part of the annual Parent of the Year program, MDE asks each school district to select an outstanding parent who has made a significant impact on school improvement efforts in the district

The committee reviews numerous applications and selects a Parent of the Year finalist from each of the four congressional districts From those four district winners, the 2023 Parent of the Year is determined