{"id":721,"date":"2026-09-22T11:11:27","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T18:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/?p=721"},"modified":"2026-09-22T11:11:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T18:11:27","slug":"of-courage-and-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/?p=721","title":{"rendered":"Of Courage and Purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Originally posted: Aug. 11, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By: Sakinah Musa<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of Courage and Purpose: How Kimberly Reed is Forging Her Trail<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kimberly Reed<\/a>, ’04 M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction, loves a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she\u2019s not teaching five AP classes at Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon<\/a>, advising seniors, or coordinating student clubs, she runs competitively and mountain bikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s not all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is also pursuing her doctoral degree, managing a fitness coaching business, and parenting two children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kim\u2019s journey came with struggles, but it is anchored in her resolve to live a life of courage and purpose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a Direction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although her mother, also a UNLV alumna, had been a teacher since 4th grade, Kim wanted to take a different path. She earned her undergraduate degree in anthropology at UNLV in 2000 and worked as an archaeologist at the Desert Research Institute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was interesting, but I was often away from home and spending hours in an office with very little human connection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In search of a more stable and interactive career, Kim turned to substitute teaching. Right away, she realised she wanted to be a high school teacher, and 25 years later, she is still on track. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becoming Coach Kim<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tragic loss left her scared and anxious for years. She put her running shoes on and hit the road, hoping to find some peace and a path forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her sister, Amy-Mathis Leonard<\/a>, \u201810 \u201826, UNLV Gateway Senior Math Placement and Support Programs coordinator and two-time alum, issued a new challenge to Kim\u2013trail running, where she took on more risk and unknown terrains. The adrenaline rush was worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRunning through the desert was exactly where I belonged,\u201d Kim shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, trail running strengthened her physically and mentally, rebuilding her sense of discipline and desire to connect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to help people change their lives through outdoor exercise,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So she started a fitness and wellness coaching business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking a Detour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a severe knee injury, Kim chose to challenge herself by using strength training and nutrition to recover rather than undergo invasive surgery. This path took her away from one of the things she loved most about her life\u2013community. So, instead of high-impact trail running, she saddled up and hit the trails on a mountain bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, she is training for her second 100-mile mountain bike race, and her mantra through it all is \u201cdo things and the things get done.\u201d A philosophy she instills in her students and coaching clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Lies Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Kim is pursuing a doctoral degree in educational psychology with an emphasis on kinesiology and health psychology. Her research interests combine her passions: how outdoor exercise affects teachers\u2019 ability to manage stress and, in turn, student engagement. She hopes that the degree will equip her with the credibility to speak and write as an expert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want people to have science-backed information on how to transform their lives for the better,\u201d Kim said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing is certain, though: Kim\u2019s legacy will be living life without fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Originally posted: Aug. 11, 2026 By: Sakinah Musa Of Courage and Purpose: How Kimberly Reed is Forging Her Trail Kimberly Reed, ’04 M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction, loves a challenge. When she\u2019s not teaching five AP classes at Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon, advising seniors, or coordinating student clubs, she runs competitively and mountain bikes. That\u2019s not all.  […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[25,24],"class_list":["post-721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-teaching-learning","tag-sakinah-musa","tag-tl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=721"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":723,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721\/revisions\/723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}