Hi, my name is Reid Luedecke, I am a native Austinite who moved away and spent my formative years along the Texas gulf coast and then moved back to Austin in 2012 for college. I graduated from UT Austin with an undergraduate degree in Health Promotion and Health Education becoming a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). My relationship with Rotary started in high school where I participated in the creation and leadership of our school Interact Club and attended our local RYLA camp. I continued working with Rotary through the Rotaract Club at the University of Texas at Austin where I was the secretary and then President. We were primarily sponsored by the University Area Rotary Club where Martha Myers and Suresh Pahwah, our Rotaract Club sponsors, helped guide and nurture our club for many years. Martha is the main reason I have continued to have a relationship with Rotary through the last 10 years, serving as an amazing mentor and friend through my educational and personal journey. 

After college, I went on to work as an elementary school teacher and then as a financial researcher for several years before deciding to pursue a lifelong dream to work in nursing. I then received my registered nursing license and Master’s of Science in Nursing Leadership from UT Austin in 2020 and went on to work in psychiatric nursing in various settings including acute-care hospitals, outpatient clinics, and now in a research setting studying new medications for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I am currently working part-time and finishing the last 6 months of my post-master’s psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) certification through UT Austin; this unfortunately keeps me busy 6 days a week and has recently limited my participation in Rotary. In my spare time, you can find me playing video games or trying new local Austin restaurants. And when meeting virtually, there is a good chance you will get to hear or see my very loud and affectionate cat, Stowe, who is currently obsessed with the laser pointer.