Words by Thomas Ingle | Images by Justin Hunter
Elizabeth Reed is an avid cruiser, embarking on her tenth voyage this year. She loves exploring the world and cherishes life’s surprises, as life can take one to unexpected places, much like a boat navigating the open sea.
Elizabeth was born in Naperville, Illinois, but at age two, her family relocated to Jasper, Alabama, where she spent her formative years. She attended the Jasper City school system and proudly graduated from Walker High School in 1992. Her educational journey continued at Walker College, where she earned her associate degree in 1994. Elizabeth then attended Birmingham-Southern College, obtaining her bachelor’s degree in 1996. Driven by her passion for law, she briefly enrolled at The University of Alabama, dedicating a year and a half to the field before realizing it wasn’t her true calling. Subsequently, she ventured into real estate in Atlanta, Georgia, only to return to Alabama two years later to earn her master’s in teaching from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 2001.
Elizabeth has shared her talents with numerous schools throughout her twenty-two-year teaching career. She began her teaching journey at Carbon Hill High School before taking a role at Hillcrest Middle School in Tuscaloosa. Eventually, she returned to Walker County, where she joined the teaching staff at Bankhead Middle School. For the past several years, she has dedicated herself to Cordova High School, where she continues to make a positive impact.
Elizabeth’s life story took an endearing turn when she met her husband, Davey Reed, during their time working at Carbon Hill. Their bond grew stronger when the school operated out of trailers due to an F3 tornado that struck on November 10, 2002. Fatefully, their trailers were conveniently located side by side. With Davey as the head football coach and Elizabeth as the cheerleading sponsor, they naturally spent a significant amount of time together.
“How could you miss that romance when your trailers are side by side?!” Elizabeth says with a chuckle.
In 2002, they decided to begin their lifelong journey together and got married. They have been blessed with three wonderful children—nineteen-year-old Preston, currently a student at the University of South Alabama; sixteen-year-old Carter, who attends Jasper High School; and Caroline, a student at Jasper Jr High.
As Elizabeth sails through the seas of life, she has navigated through various places. Whether it be Naperville, Atlanta, Jasper, or the serene expanse of the ocean, she is grateful for the currents that have guided her to the present day. WL
