For the Oklahoma Cowboys fans here at HCP, the Marionette is proud to welcome OSU alumnus Reed Ellard to the staff.

Ellard was born and raised in Tulsa and attended Oklahoma State University.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” Ellard said about his alma mater.

He said he enjoyed the atmosphere the best.

“Stillwater is really unique in my opinion because you get enough of a big town like OKC or Tulsa but it’s small enough where you get to know everybody. It’s not too busy. Not too much traffic,” he said.

In the beginning, Ellard was unsure about becoming a teacher.

“I didn’t know that I wanted to be a teacher. It took a bit of time. I changed my majors a couple of times in college and then I realized it was history and kids that I loved the most so I was like, why not put them together?” he said.

Ellard said history is his favorite subject, comparing it to one giant story.

“History for me has always been pretty easy to an extent. I think what it is about history, it’s always been a big story. There are characters, there’s plot twists and it’s something that for me, it felt like we were reliving it but science and math for me was a little more difficult because it was black and white. I like how rich history is,” he said.

So far, Ellard is enjoying his time at Harding.

“It’s awesome. It’s very unique and different. I mean it’s not like any other high school or middle school. An atmosphere where kids are here an hour before school starts, studying? What’s up with that? I am impressed,” he said.

Outside of teaching, Ellard enjoys spending time with his wife and his dog, Grover. He also enjoys reading books like and if he’s not doing that, he is watching sports.

He gives support for many teams including Oklahoma’s own NBA team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“You’ve got to love the Thunder and I also like the Dallas Cowboys. I have plenty,” he said.

In the end, Ellard plans to share the story of Oklahoma History with his students while having fun, but still maintaining a well-rounded classroom.

“I’m approachable,” he said. “I love to have a good time and a good laugh but when it comes down to it, I know that when we need to get stuff done, let’s get it done. There’s a time for both so I am somewhere in between.”

Welcome to HCP!