Dale Elizabeth Reed, who taught elementary school for 25 years, was an educator who touched the lives of many. She was a woman of strong work ethic, high moral values, and had a deep love for her students and family.

Ms. Reed passed away in early July of this year and her children, Barbara and Virgil, felt it was important for their mother’s legacy and love for teaching to live on.

“As my mother began her decline, my brother and I started going through the boxes and containers filled with memorabilia from her many years of teaching,” said Ms. Reed’s daughter Barbara. “Tucked in with all the Avon gifts, costume jewelry, and tokens from foreign countries, were many notes and letters from her students.  After teaching 25 years in the El Paso ISD, you can only imagine the number of students that she sent on to fourth grade - fully equipped with their cursive writing, multiplication tables, and manners coupled with ambition to ‘do better’.”

As Barbara and Virgil continued looking through their mother’s treasures, they discovered cards from Ms. Reed’s previous students. These students who had grown up to have successful careers wrote to their third-grade teacher thanking her for inspiring them to move forward with their dreams and ambitions. 

These beautiful testimonials about their mother touched their hearts and they realized the needed to keep her legacy alive. 

“The idea started to germinate that her legacy could continue by starting a scholarship fund for students who have attended her beloved MacArthur Elementary School and were headed to college,” said Barbara. “We were fortunate to discover the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, which turned out to be the perfect place to honor our mother's lifelong dream to become a teacher.” 

Prior to becoming a teacher Ms. Reed married her husband, who was the love of her life, and moved all over the country. She eventually returned to El Paso to raise her family and earned her bachelor’s degree in Education from Texas Western, becoming the first person in their family to graduate from college and accomplishing her lifelong dream of being an educator.

Ms. Reed proudly and passionately taught third grade at MacArthur Elementary, continually inspiring the children in her class to pursue education and to be accepting of others.

“How desperately we need her voice of unification and acceptance in the world today.  It is our hope that this scholarship will provide an opportunity for someone to step forward and become the continuation of that voice for the future.”

To learn more about the Dale Elizabeth Reed Memorial Scholarship Fund or make a donation please visit Dale Elizabeth Reed Memorial Scholarship Fund | Paso Del Norte Community Foundation (pdnfoundation.org)