Innovative Educator
Melissa Reynolds has transformed classrooms with her kindness and rigor.
Community Leader
Her leadership extends beyond the classroom to her fellow educators.
Award-Winning Mentor
Melissa Reynolds guides students with many alumni saying she changed their lives.
Celebrating Educational Excellence
Melissa Reynolds Recognized as Miege's First Ingram's Icon
Join us in honoring Melissa Reynolds, a beacon of educational innovation and dedication, recognized as an Ingram’s Magazine 2025 Icon of Education. While the list is full of superintendents and university administrators, she is the only K-12 teacher on the list. Undoubtedly an icon!
A Journey to Miege
On a hot July day in 1987, I began the long drive from Waco, Texas to Kansas City for two interviews for debate coaching positions. My husband was set to attend UMKC Law School, and I needed to find a teaching position in the area. When I began this journey, I only knew that my aunt had scrawled “I’ve heard good things about this school” next to the tiny advertisement from the Kansas City Star that she had taped onto a notecard and then mailed.
I had the school’s name and phone number, and I had hope because my dad always said, “God opens windows and doors.” That interview with Dr. Joe Passantino and Miss Mary Ann Lucas was the beginning of an adventure that would shape my entire career and life.
A Second Family
Although I had no coaching experience or credentials to recommend myself, I was determined to teach and coach debate and forensics. As a shy eighth grader, I never would have believed that teaching debate and forensics would become my passion. In high school, speech and debate helped me overcome my own quiet, introverted nature and taught me how to confidently express myself. I knew that the skills I had gained through competition were exactly what so many other students needed, and I wanted to help them find their voices as I had found mine. The original plan was for my husband and me to return to my hometown after he graduated from law school, but by the time those three years had passed, I had already found a second family among the students and faculty at Bishop Miege.
Educational Contributions
Melissa Reynolds' Scholarship Fund
“After 38 years, some days it feels like it has been a short time, while other days it feels as though I have been here forever. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to teach and coach, and I cannot imagine being anywhere else.” – Melissa Reynolds
Additionally, a group of alumni has launched the Melissa Reynolds Scholarship Fund to honor Mrs. Reynolds and her lasting impact on Bishop Miege’s debate and forensics programs. Part of the Bridge to the Future (BTF) endowment, this Named Fund is a meaningful way to say “thank you” while supporting future Stags. Once the fund reaches $50,000, it will provide a scholarship to a Miege student each school year, thus creating a legacy that will benefit generations to come.
Gratitude for a Wonderful Teacher
I attribute Ms. Reynold’s guidance and coaching with putting me on the path to law school and ultimately my career as a litigator. I regularly go back to the values of civility and skills of persuasion that she taught in debate class.
Every day, I am grateful for Melissa Reynolds. I see the impact she had on my three during their high school years and the impact she continues to have in their lives. The logic skills, the research skills, and the poise speaking in front of a group are expertise they use in their careers today.
Her students will recall her saying, “Decorum,” but we more so learned greater lessons of integrity, credibility, and care, and we are better people for having learned from and with Mrs. Reynolds. I am in awe of her career and the lives she’s influenced, and I hope that the students who benefit from her scholarship live out her values.
Mrs. R, thank you for influencing generations of students and helping them learn skills and gain confidence that will benefit them their whole lives.
DECADES OF MENTORSHIP
Debate through the Years: A Program of Impact and Inspiration
Reflection from MRS. REYNOLDS
The competition has always been thrilling, but what I cherish most is watching my students develop—whether it is their critical thinking, public speaking, or acting skills. I always tell my students that if they learn from each round of competition, then they have been successful. That growth—no matter how big or small—is the most valuable gift.
It is not just about trophies, but it is mainly about the journey of becoming confident, capable individuals who have built strong relationships with their teammates as they all worked toward shared goals. After 38 years, my heart is so full of joy and gratitude for the privilege of teaching and coaching at Bishop Miege.
I have learned so much from my students, and I hope I’ve been able to pass on to them just a fraction of the gifts debate and forensics have given me. God has definitely opened windows and doors for me! What a joy it is to know that future students, long after I do finally retire, will have the opportunity to attend this amazing school and, hopefully, continue the Stag debate and forensics legacy!
Continue Mrs. Reynolds' Legacy
We invite you to share a message with Mrs. Reynolds about the impact she’s had on your life or the life of your student, whether it’s a memory from debate, speech, freshman homeroom, or the Lucas herd.
You can also honor her incredible legacy by contributing to the Melissa Reynolds Scholarship Fund. Any amount helps—and every gift ensures that future students will have access to a Miege education for decades to come.
