Hometown Brag: Haley Reid Glasser, SGHS class of 2012

By K. Coats

If you’ve ever had the chance to see Haley Reid’s smile, I can promise you know all too well how contagious it is. Smart, funny, confident – ask any of her teachers, and they’ll all agree. She was also one of the hardest-working students I’ve personally ever taught. So, it is no surprise in the least that Haley Reid, now Haley Glasser, has gone on to do wonderful things like earning her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Emory Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. But before she earned her DNP, there were many stops along the way.

Haley credits her W.C. Britt Elementary 4th grade math and science teacher Tom McNeil, aka Mr. Mac, with setting the tone for her success. She says, “He changed my view on school and education, and ultimately shaped my academic career for the rest of my life. He made school fun and used humor to connect with his students.” And his lessons went beyond math and science. “He also taught me to be kind to myself,” Haley recalls, “and that it’s okay to not have perfect grades all the time; a lesson that definitely came in handy as I went through my college years. Thanks for everything, Mr. Mac!”

Haley eventually graduated in 2012 from South Gwinnett High School. And while Mr. Mac may have left a lasting impression, he wasn’t alone. Haley particularly wanted to give a shout out to all her teachers. “Thank you to all the Gwinnett County Public School teachers who touched my life during my many years of school. I wouldn’t be where I am without your dedication to teaching and learning!”

As a student, Haley was involved across several areas of student life: varsity cheerleading, Comets in Action, Beta Club, National Honor Society, and Gwinnett Medical Explorers. Outside of school, she was involved with the Gwinnett County Swim League, participating in summer-league swimming for eighteen years with both Eastmont Cove Swim Team and Snellville Supersonics. “We spent many summers swimming at Briscoe Park pool and Rhodes Jordan Park,” she remembers. “I also grew up attending and volunteering at Vacation Bible School at Snellville United Methodist Church.” But as a varsity cheerleader, there was only one place to find Haley on those fall Friday nights – cheering the South Gwinnett High School Comets and hyping up the crowd. And while she now calls Jacksonville, Florida home, Haley has much love for her hometown. “The community spirit”, she explains. “I love that even though Snellville is developing and changing, it still maintains that cozy/homey hometown charm. Both my family and my husband’s family still live in Gwinnett County, so it will always be extra special to us.”

Once Haley left Snellville, her journey took her to Oxford College of Emory University before moving on to Emory Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, where she would eventually focus on pediatrics. “I worked in pediatric primary care for three years,” she says, “but made the transition to pediatric specialty care in January 2021. I currently Continued on page 22

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