1996 Warsaw Community High School and Taylor University May graduate Angie Reed will travel to Mexico in August to teach English, speech and theater at Puebla Christian School, Puebla San Juan Del Rio. Reed also has been accepted as a missionary by Unevangelized Fields Mission, an organization that supports the ministry of PCS.

"I'm excited to do something different for a while," Reed said.

She will teach grades nine through 12 for the 2000-01 school year - 11 months.

"My love for young people and desire to serve in missions has caused me to pursue a position in a school for missionary kids," Reed said. "These students are placed in unique and often difficult high school experiences and need teachers completely committed to both their education and development, teachers who are willing to take their jobs beyond the classroom."

Reed believes she is just that person.

"As a young, energetic, creative teacher it is my desire to work with these students on many levels," Reed said.

Reed grew up in Warsaw and took Spanish in high school, but said she doesn't speak the language fluently.

"All I've had is what I had in high school because I tested out of it at Taylor," Reed said. "Since I've grown up all my life in Warsaw, I figured maybe some people from around here would be interested in hearing what I'm doing."

Reed said she made the decision to teach "or do some kind of mission work" when she was in high school.

While in high school, Reed worked on staff as a camp counselor for the Hiawatha Youth Camp and was involved in church activities. She said these experiences "led me in the direction of cross-cultural missions."

As a fourth-year Spanish student in high school, Reed taught Spanish in elementary schools.

"So already I was kind of getting a feel and I did the cadet teaching where I went and taught sixth grade and got to shadow a teacher and experience that," Reed said.

She said the high school teaching experience also led her to her mission decision.

Reed corresponded with a number of schools for missionary kids.

"Then when I went to Taylor, I didn't really know how I was going to do that (teach/mission work)," Reed said.

Reed was a "communication arts education major to teach speech and theater" while at Taylor University.

"Then I started looking for a place to teach and went and visited PCS on my spring break," she said.

While in Mexico on spring break, Reed fell in love with the students.

"They were eager to learn and full of questions about life," she said. "They were searching for a role model, someone who was willing to invest in them."

Reed wants to be that person.

"I just think that since I'm young, I'll be able to be a role model to them," Reed said. "I knew that this was my heart's passion."

Reed said the school is in need of a teacher and "it is perfect for me because there was (a need for an) English, speech and theater (teacher) and I had done my student teaching in English."

The opportunities at PCS seemed like a perfect fit for Reed.

"I think it'll be really hard," she said of the work ahead of her. "I'm also going to be the librarian there. People just send books and donate them so it's kind of a mess."

Reed said she's sure she'll be "really, really busy."

She also plans to "create a new theater and speech program "that will be important for these students, since the majority of them will one day be involved in ministry."

Reed said now that graduation from Taylor University is behind her, "it's time to pursue what the Lord has placed ahead."

Reed wants to teach and to witness to the students as well.

"It's really important to me that I'm teaching them, not only about English (but also about ministry)," Reed said.

Most of the students will attend college in the United States, Reed said, so she wants "to get them ready to go."

"These kids are kind of in an awkward position because they're American kids but, they're living in Mexico," Reed said.

The students are in another culture, their families speak another language (English) and "they look different than everyone else." She said the students "just kind of don't fit in anywhere."

But, Reed is going to do whatever it takes to help them.

"I'm excited that I'll be going there and I'm single, so I can give these kids, like, 100 percent because I don't have anything else taking away from it," Reed said.

Reed said being close to her students in age is positive and she hopes it will encourage a bond and trust.

"They're really excited," Reed said of the students. "It's neat for them because I am close to them in age and can talk to them about coming back for college and getting them ready for that."

Reed also plans to talk to her students about her experiences in Warsaw.

Although her mother and father will miss her, she said, they're used to her being away for school and have promised to visit her.

"(I have to) decide at Christmas if I'm going to stay at that school," Reed said. "But, I think I'll probably be in Mexico for a while. I just have to raise my support for going," Reed said. "I have people supporting (me). I sent out letters."

She is really excited and hopes "that all my support comes in so I can leave, because if it doesn't come in, then I can't go."

Reed said she doesn't have any churches supporting her.

"Churches are usually your big support but ... I don't have any churches behind me right now," She said. "It's all just individuals."

"People don't realize what a difference it makes. If everyone I sent a letter to sent me, like, $10 a month, then I would have had all my support," she said.

Reed needs to raise $1,300 for every month she lives in Mexico - 11 months. The money must be pledged before she leaves in August.

Those interesting in pledging can contact Reed via e-mail at [email protected] [[In-content Ad]]