A voice for the future
Reid Whitaker made the most of his time at The University of Texas and Moody College of Communication. As a 2002 Communication Studies graduate, Whitaker kept himself busy as part of the senior fellows honors program, communication council and Texas Speech. All these experiences, he says, taught him his leadership capabilities, especially as he built his own company in 2010.
“Being able to effectively communicate with people and work alongside them is what led me to becoming an executive,” said Whitaker, founder and senior vice president of STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning, Inc. STEMscopes is a comprehensive digital curriculum that spans science, technology, engineering and mathematics topics. The program is designed by teachers, for teachers to foster student curiosity and hands-on learning.
“I feel like those experiences at UT really prepared me for this world,” Whitaker said.
When he arrived on the UT campus, Whitaker auditioned for Texas Speech after only a couple of days of being in Austin. His experience with Texas Speech was so transformative for him that he’s now established a major estate gift to Texas Speech and is also giving outright to support the program year after year. As one of the program’s most impactful donors, Whitaker’s gifts to Texas Speech will open the doors for more team competition travel, create an ability to bring in more alumni coaches and mentors and so much more.
Through these gifts, Whitaker hopes he can help students have as formative of an experience as he did.
“The skillsets that it instills in individuals is amazing,” Whitaker said. “The events are demanding and competitive, you’re traveling a lot, but you also have to keep up with your studies. The discipline, the work and the mindset that it gave me really carried me through my career, as I built my own company and as a teacher and a principal.”
Whitaker has led an extensive career in education following his undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate journey, having returned to UT to get his Ph.D. from the College of Education.
He began by serving as a 5th grade and elementary science lab teacher for Teach for America. He’s also provided multiple hours of professional development training and coaching to teachers in Houston ISD by acting as a content specialist for the district and later as the associate director for the Center of Education at Rice University. He eventually took a position as the principal of Port Houston Elementary where he raised the accountability rating of the school from academically acceptable to exemplary.
Although Whitaker resides in Houston, he’s made a few trips back to Moody College in recent years and hopes to return as a guest speaker for a future Texas Speech cohort. He says that the atmosphere is still just as dynamic as it was when he was a student.
“I really enjoy being a Moody alumnus because of everything that’s going on at the college now,” Whitaker said. “I feel like there is such a high caliber and high quality of things there, communication students are just awesome, and the faculty is so welcoming and inviting.”
When asked what advice he would give to current and future Moody College students he said that authenticity is the best path forward.
“Be authentic as possible, put your heart into it,” Whitaker said. “Don’t be afraid to toe the line and give it your all. Don’t ever be afraid of criticism.”
If you would like to learn more about setting up an estate gift or donating to any of Moody College’s programs, find further information and ways to connect with a gift officer on our website.
