Chris Reid (’08)

“My fondest memories at CBU revolve around two places: Alfonso Dining Hall (a lot of community was built in that place, and I would spend hours there with friends) and Canale Arena (I miss cheering and cutting up for my Buccaneers).”

Chris Reid was active in many other places, events, and organizations as a student at CBU — in fact, he was selected by his classmates as the recipient of the Thomas Lipsmeyer Award, for making the most contributions by a senior to the class and to the university. He graduated from CBU in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and began to build his career as an educator, a career which has taken him through various positions as a teacher, school counselor, and principal.

He currently serves as the Director of Vision for Compass Community Schools, the organization that created public charter schools from six of the Jubilee Catholic Schools in urban, low-income neighborhoods that were closed by the Diocese of Memphis in 2019. In a profile of Chris that was featured on Choose901.com last year, he summed up his mission as an educator in Memphis and an advocate of Social and Emotional Learning: “This city has a huge stake in creating agents of change and advocating for the rights of others. That’s why our work is so important. We stand in front of our future every day that we stand in front of the classroom. Teachers, you are needed. Don’t let yourself get bogged down. Instead, rise above to reach the goal. After all, there was probably a teacher that did that for you once.”

Outside of his position with Compass, Chris is an active member of St. Louis Catholic Church and has a history of being active in the choir. He also volunteers as a camp director for Camp Horizon, a cost-free summer camp for pediatric oncology patients and their siblings, and serves on the board of Beyond The Horizon Corporation, the nonprofit that operates the camp.

The most important lesson I learned at CBU is the importance of Community. This is one of my most important values as a person, and I really think CBU and the Lasallian tradition taught me that. ENTER TO LEARN, LEAVE TO SERVE.