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Tramaine Payne ’98 named McMinnville’s Educator of the Year

After nearly three decades in the classroom and on the track, Tramaine Payne ’98 earned one of McMinnville’s highest honors: Educator of the Year, presented by the city’s Distinguished Service Awards. The honor recognizes educators who demonstrate outstanding efforts and commitment to the McMinnville community.

The recognition marked a full-circle moment for the longtime teacher and coach.

“It is a very humbling experience,” Tramaine said. “I am very thankful to have lasted in education this long to have an opportunity like this. I’ve been reflective about the luck in my life that brought such great mentors in education and coaching. A lot of great people spent extra time teaching, coaching and mentoring me over the years, and winning the award gives me another opportunity to say ‘thank you.’”

Lessons that started at Linfield

Tramaine majored in elementary education at Linfield while also competing on the .

“My Linfield experience was awesome,” Tramaine said. “I love all the people and professors I had the chance to know. While playing football for the ’Cats, I met a lot of great folks, and I am proud that I have managed to keep many of those connections alive.”

A staple for the Wildcats on the field, Tramaine is still in the Wildcat record books. He has the eighth most carries in a single game (30 carries versus Puget Sound on Oct. 26, 1996) and remains tied at 14th for the longest rush from scrimmage in a single game (72 yards vs. Lewis & Clark on Nov. 9, 1996).

He credits Linfield’s education department with preparing him to excel off the field, as well.

“The department was very attentive to students’ needs,” Tramaine said. “They would do anything they could to help and support us.”

A career grounded in community

After a brief stint at Humboldt State University where he earned his master’s degree in kinesiology, Tramaine returned to McMinnville — and to Linfield.

“Linfield Football was a very important thing to me, and being away slowly made me miss the community and the program,” he said. “When the opportunity to return presented itself, I came back.”

He joined Patton Middle School in 2003 as an alternative education teacher, eventually transitioning to a physical education teacher in 2006.

Alongside teaching, Tramaine has worked with sprinters as an assistant coach on since 2001. In 2016, he was honored as the NCAA Division III Track & Field West Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

“I always wanted to be a coach, and I was lucky enough that there was an opportunity at Linfield during that time to start that journey,” Tramaine said. “Coaching is competitive and sometimes can be tough to find a fit for what you have to offer. I consider myself lucky from the standpoint of finding a place that fits at the exact right time.”

Shaping lives through sports and school

After nearly three decades, Tramaine still finds deep meaning in his work.

“Every day brings out all kinds of emotions,” Tramaine said. “There are moments when you laugh, feel like crying or are simply exhausted, but it is worth it to help kids see how school sports and activities can shape their futures.”

His nominator agreed, writing:

“He is innovative and creative when it comes to meeting the needs of our students where they are…. He can’t walk through the halls without a student shouting, ‘Mr. Payne!’ and coming up and getting a high five…. It is not beyond him to ref a football game, attend an out-of-town basketball game, or watch a performance our students are in when he is invited. He truly cares about each student and will do anything he can to make their experience at our place the best it can be.”