In honor of American Education Week, November 13-19, 2005, the Hamblen 
County Education Association donated $500 to the National Education 
Association's Hurricane Relief Fund to raise $1 million to go directly to 
students, teachers, and school employees whose homes have been destroyed, 
whose school buildings have been damaged, and who may be homeless and 
jobless as a result of Hurricane Katrina. HCEA officers Rebecca Reel and 
Melinda Reese are presenting the check to Judy Beasley, Tennessee Education 
Association President.
 

 
 
    I am proud to be a Union Heights Elementary Kindergarten teacher for the 
    Hamblen County School System      with seventeen years of experience.  My 
    educational background includes the following degrees:
        AS-Education                      -    Walters State Community College; 
        BS-Elementary Education     -    University of Tennessee, Knoxville;
        MS-Elementary Education    -    Tusculum College, Greeneville.
    I am pursing my EDS in Education Administration from Lincoln Memorial 
    University.  
  
    I have been an active leader of my Professional Association, Hamblen County 
    Education Association, which is affiliated with TEA (Tennessee Education 
    Association) and NEA (National Education Association). I am presently 
    serving as HCEA's Co-President with Christiane Schmidt.  For the past 12 
    years I have served on the Executive Board of my local, attended five NEA 
    conventions and twelve TEA conventions.  Other duties also include being 
    Chief Spokesperson for our Negotiating/ Bargaining Team.   I try to represent
    my local at state and local activities as much as possible.
 
    Other education activities or associations, which I am a member of  include:  
    Delta Kappa Gamma (Alpha Zeta Chapter); and International Reading 
    Association (Lakeway Reading Council).  I try to attend different conferences
    or professional development activities around the state.  I just attended 
    Tennessee's Kindergarten State Conference in Franklin, TN on Nov. 14 and 15.
 
    I could not do all that I do without the help of God, my church, my friends, 
    and my loving family!  I am happily married to Phillip D. Reese, Jr.  We have 
    a 10 year old son Johnathan.  My parents Janet and Johnny Shelton help fill in 
    the gaps.  We are members of Bethel Baptist Church, where both my husband 
    and I are Sunday School Teachers.  My husband and son enjoy motorcycles 
    and outdoor sports.  And I love martial arts!
 
    As a 14 year old teenager, my father thought that I needed to learn self defense 
    and enrolled me in Russell Miller's Karate class.  My instructor had to stop 
    teaching, so he encouraged me to go to his Sensei's class.  So I began my 
    lifelong love of martial arts in Master William Mason's dojo and style "Dragon 
    Cobra Te."  At the age of eighteen, I earned my first degree black belt from 
    Master Mason.  I continued to study with Master Mason until he retired twelve 
    years ago.  I am so excited to be studying and learning once again with Master 
    Mason and Instructor Naomi Mason.  Being with my karate family is such a 
    blessing! 
 
    I feel that everyone should be active participants in life.  If you want to be part 
    of life, you must engage it!  Your life is your CHOICE!   I choose to be a 
    lifelong learner!