Atascosa Voice 1: Chelsea Reed-Lahey

The Town That Made Her

Chelsea remembers Sally's Tacos.

Long before the building became Ned's Pizza, her grandfather would take her there almost every day. The employees knew her order before she spoke it: a bean and cheese taco with guacamole.

For Chelsea Reed-Lahey, some of her earliest memories of Pleasanton begin there.

Born in Corpus Christi on December 3, 1991, Chelsea grew up in Pleasanton and graduated with the Pleasanton High School Class of 2010. Like many young people growing up in a small town, she eventually left in search of something bigger.

But before the Pacific Coasts of California, before the midwestern sunsets of Indiana, even before becoming a counselor, an artist, and a business owner, she was just another Pleasanton kid.

"The town felt slower back then," Chelsea said.

There were fewer people in the stores, fewer cars on the streets, and fewer places to rush off to. Friday nights belonged to football games. If there was a movie worth seeing, kids headed to the Plestex Theatre. If there wasn't, there was always the 24-hour Walmart.

"Sometimes we'd just walk around looking for something to do," she laughed.

Anyone who grew up in a small town before smartphones probably understands the feeling.

One place that has changed dramatically in Chelsea's eyes is the Pleasanton River Park.

Today, it stands as one of the community's most popular gathering spaces. When Chelsea was growing up, it had a different reputation entirely.

"My mom always told me to stay away from there," she recalled.

The transformation of the park mirrors the transformation of Pleasanton itself. The city she remembers is not quite the city that exists today.

Growth has brought new businesses, more residents, and expanded opportunities. But it has also changed the rhythm of daily life.

"The days when everybody knew everybody seem mostly gone," she said.

Chelsea believes Pleasanton is still a good place to live, but she hopes future development continues to focus on accessibility and infrastructure that keeps pace with the town's growing population.

Still, what eventually pushed her away wasn't growth.

It was curiosity.

Like many young adults, Chelsea wanted to see what existed beyond Atascosa County.

She moved first to Southern California, living in Oceanside and Carlsbad.

One of her earliest memories of California wasn't exactly glamorous.

"A guy spat on my windshield," she remembered.

It was a small moment, but one that reminded her she was no longer in the town where everyone knew her family.

Pleasanton felt far away.

In some ways, Chelsea wanted it that way.Her grandfather's death had left a deep mark on her. 

Everywhere she looked around town, she found reminders of him. The MG hardware store. Those same dirt roads. The backyard where he built a two-story treehouse connected by a drawbridge.

Those memories were precious, but they were painful too.

So Chelsea focused on the larger world in front of her.

After California, she moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where she would spend the next six years.

Surprisingly, parts of the Midwest felt familiar.

"The work ethic reminded me of home," she said.

In Indiana, people worked factory jobs. In South Texas, many worked in oilfields. Different industries, same determination.

Living in different parts of the country expanded her perspective and taught her an important lesson.

"It takes about two years somewhere before you really know what it's about."

The experiences changed her, but they never completely erased Pleasanton.

Eventually, life brought Chelsea back home.

By then, she had become something she had wanted to be since childhood: a counselor.

The inspiration came from an experience she still remembers clearly.

As a child, Chelsea struggled to connect with therapists. Most appointments felt uncomfortable and unhelpful.

Then she met one who did something different.

The therapist told her she could play with anything she wanted in the room.

Chelsea chose Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.

That day, something in her made a decision.

Helping people in that way felt meaningful.

She remembers thinking that if she could do that for someone else someday, it would be a life worth living.

That path eventually led her to graduate school at Our Lady of the Lake University, where she earned her Master's degree in Counseling.

Her graduation happened during the height of COVID.

Instead of a traditional ceremony, graduates received their diplomas through a drive-through event.

Even so, Chelsea credits OLLU's professors and mentors for helping shape the therapist she hoped to become.

Today, she is building her private practice, Shadow and Light Wellness.

She specializes in marriage counseling, grief counseling, and trauma work. Her goal is simple.

"I just want to see my clients be successful."

Counseling is only one side of Chelsea's life.

She is also an artist.

Creativity runs deep in her family. Her great-aunt, Verna Lee Franklin, was active in Texas arts organizations like La Grange of the Poteet Strawberry Festival, and Chelsea eventually found her own way back to art after seeing an online contest announcement that reignited her interest.

Today, she continues creating while building her counseling practice.

Looking toward Pleasanton's future, Chelsea hopes to see more support for nonprofits, artists, and small businesses.

Programs like the San Antonio Street Art Initiative helped her learn how to form an LLC, manage business finances, and access resources that ultimately helped launch her private practice.

She would love to see opportunities like that become available within Atascosa County.

Twenty years from now, Chelsea hopes Pleasanton continues growing without losing what makes it special.

She hopes to see thriving local businesses lining Main Street. She hopes infrastructure keeps pace with development. Most of all, she hopes future generations recognize what she eventually learned herself.

Pleasanton may not be the center of the world.

But it is a good place to begin.

"Home is wherever and with whomever you make it," Chelsea said.

Still, after all the places she's lived, all the roads she's traveled, and all the lives she's touched, Pleasanton remains the town that made her.