People oftentimes come to college
in hopes of someday achieving their lifelong dreams of success. They want to
obtain the skills and knowledge needed to fulfill their goals of a brighter
future. One such person is Reynolds Community College alumna Josephine
Iwatsubo, who has been able to achieve one of her childhood dreams by becoming
an author with the publication of her first book “The Missing Cookie”.
The book is the culmination of
Iwatsubo’s childhood experiences growing up with her brother James Michael
Iwatsubo. During this time, Iwatsubo also drew inspiration from her mother who
encouraged her to write stories when she was young. The book has become a
testament to Iwatsubo’s hard work as a student at Reynolds where she graduated
with a Liberal Arts degree in May 2014.
Iwatsubo was born in the
Philippines and raised in Richmond, Virginia, graduating from Deep Run High
School in 2012. Iwatsubo says she decided to attend Reynolds because of the
academic flexibility and financial benefits the school provides.
She believes that her time at
Reynolds was a contributing factor in helping her to achieve her dream of
attending the University of Virginia. Iwatsubo says the Reynolds
Guaranteed Transfer program was instrumental in the attainment of her academic
career goals and she credits the program with helping her financially and
preparing her for the transition to the University of Virginia. “I was
able to attend my dream school, the University of Virginia, so I am extremely
thankful for the programs that Reynolds offered,” said Iwatsubo. “Attending
Reynolds definitely is the best decision I have ever made when I decided to
pursue college. I really had the chance to explore my interests, see all
the possibilities, make lifelong friends and see what I can achieve.”
While attending Reynolds, Iwatsubo
achieved various accolades and honors such as the Dimitri and Maggie Georgiadis
Endowed Scholarship. Iwatsubo has some words of advice for students who
may be looking to gain similar success within their own college careers.
As a former Reynolds essay contest winner from 2014, Iwatsubo says students
should take full advantage of scholarship offers and make the best of their
collegiate experience while they have the opportunity.
“There are so many things that
Reynolds offers that are often overlooked - so apply and remember that this is
the time to really explore your opportunities,” said Iwatsubo. “Another
one is - try your best on doing well and never feel discouraged to ask your
professors for help. The faculty members are approachable and they truly care
and want to help their students to be successful. The opportunity to get to
know your professors is one of the reasons why I excelled in Reynolds and how
easy it became for me to make connections at UVA.”
Iwatsubo graduated from Virginia in
2016 and is currently a head teacher and an assistant director at a preschool
in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is planning to further her education in
the future.
This article was provide by Reynolds Communications Intern Derric Cushman. Derric is working on his master's degree at the University of Oklahoma. He is a graduate from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and served as a Navy Mass Communication Specialist where he worked with print journalism, photography and public affairs as well as TV and radio broadcasting at the Defense Information School (DINFOS) at Fort Meade, MD.
This article was provide by Reynolds Communications Intern Derric Cushman. Derric is working on his master's degree at the University of Oklahoma. He is a graduate from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and served as a Navy Mass Communication Specialist where he worked with print journalism, photography and public affairs as well as TV and radio broadcasting at the Defense Information School (DINFOS) at Fort Meade, MD.
