A scuba diving seamstress turned English teacher has joined the American Heritage team. Mrs. Jessica Reeves is the newest edition to the English department, teaching both English 1 Honors and English 3 Honors.
Instructing both freshmen and juniors can be daunting, but Mrs. Reeves rises up to the challenge. “Teaching has always come naturally to me,” Mrs. Reeves said. “Heritage is challenging, [but] it’s worth it.”
Before she joined the American Heritage team, Mrs. Reeves had many life experiences. “I moved to Key West one year after I graduated from high school, then majored in self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) tech and marine biology at Florida Keys Community College. I went from basic SCUBA certification to being a certified SCUBA instructor within two years,” Mrs. Reeves said. However, teaching was her true passion. “[Being a teacher] ended up making sense [for me],” Mrs. Reeves said.
In the classroom, Mrs. Reeves can often be seen in a dress, jumper or crop top. She sews and designs all of her clothing herself. “I get to wear stuff that actually fits me and no one else will ever have a duplicate of. Not going to lie, I love the compliments I am always getting from friends and random people,” Mrs. Reeves said.
Mrs. Reeves decided to open an Etsy shop to sell her homemade outfits. Together with her experience as a SCUBA instructor, being a business owner has influenced Mrs. Reeves. “[I feel these experiences have made me] a completely different person… I got to see what it was like early on to be an individual, make mistakes and earn my own living.”
Although Mrs. Reeves has 12 years of teaching experience, working at Heritage has presented new challenges. “This school is forcing me to be a far more organized teacher than I’ve ever been,” Mrs. Reeves said.
Many students are enjoying her class. “Mrs. Reeves is super laid back yet respectful. She enjoys hands on learning but isn’t strict,” freshman Emma Kolb, who is in her English 1 class, said. Mrs. Reeves is committed to working hard to give her students the best possible English education.
