Matt Reed always imagined himself in front of a classroom, but it took a winding path through carpentry and the health field before he finally followed that calling back home to Enid High School.

Reed, a 2005 Enid graduate, is finishing his fifth year teaching at his alma mater, a place he calls “very special” as both an alumnus and educator. He started with Honors Oklahoma History and Honors Government for freshmen and, this year, added Honors Economics, Honors Human Geography for seniors and AP European History to his course load.

Before teaching, Reed worked as a carpenter with his father, specializing in custom staircases and cabinets, but he felt an “inescapable” pull to do more for his community. He briefly explored a career in health care, shadowing respiratory therapists and X-ray technicians, before realizing he wanted a less hands-on role in helping people. A lifelong student of history, he enrolled at Northwestern Oklahoma State University to pursue a degree in education and return to the classroom that once inspired him.

“They keep me young,” Reed said of his students. “I enjoy hearing their perspectives … to see the ‘light bulb’ Eureka moment of their understanding but from new angles maybe I never considered.” He treats history as storytelling, working to make lectures as entertaining as they are informative and even weaving in current slang to recapture attention and build rapport.

Reed said one of the most meaningful parts of his career has been working alongside some of his own former teachers, especially Mr. Day, whose encouragement helped him through difficult early years in the profession. The job does not end with the final bell; Reed spends evenings planning lessons, grading and coaching softball and swimming, often through school breaks.

“My main goal for every one of my students, no matter the subject, is to think for themselves,” Reed said. “Never let anyone think for you.”