Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Published book and Reynolds help Iwatsubo achieve lifelong dreams



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.