Really. Meet Meghan now. While she is still at Reynolds. She is someone you want to know. And as fast as she is moving in life, when she graduates in the Spring of 2018 you may not be able to catch up with her. She will be gone.
Here is the kind of person Meghan is: to get over her fear of heights she went sky diving. She used her new found confidence during a summer service learning trip out west with Richmond Public Middle Schoolers. On a cliff diving adventure in Sedona, Arizona she literally talked a frightened student off a ledge, encouraging her to “jump” because she explained to the terrified girl, “If you can do this, you can do ANYTHING in your life.” She held her hand and they jumped.
These days Meghan is too busy to be afraid of anything. In January she will return to the floor of the Virginia General Assembly for her second internship. This year she will be helping to process amendments and will witness lawmaking up close and personal. This position is a perfect fit for Meghan: her goal is to become a Constitutional lawyer.
In addition to her internship, Meghan has a work study in the Reynolds Career, and Transfer Center. She is a student ambassador, a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, a volunteer for the American Civil Liberties Union, and Hands on Richmond, and a student representative on the Reynolds Honors Steering Committee.
Where does her schooling fit in? “I am really motivated to get through my studies. All of my classes are at night after a full day at work. Most of them are Honors classes. And I do most of my homework on the weekends so I can come prepared to engage with the class lectures. I am okay missing an event or spending time with my friends in order to study a little harder and work toward an A. I have an end-goal in mind and don’t want to put it off.”
Meghan sailed through her high school gifted classes in Portland, Maine. But, when it came to college she put on the brakes. She thought a four-year school was her only option, but when she looked at the cost she got sticker shock. She was even more afraid of going into debt than she was of heights. Plus, she didn’t know what she wanted to do. So she went to work.
Life events brought Meghan to Richmond. Curiosity brought her to the Reynolds website. She read about the Honors Program, she read about transfer options, she calculated the cost, and she registered. The rest, as they as, is history. “The Reynolds Honors Program has given me the space to find out who I am and what I want to do. I have been able to explore fields of interest I might not have gotten to explore, and in the process I have set my goals and am on my way.” And Meghan has not looked back.
“One of my greatest challenges has been to accept that not everything I work for is easy to get. Some subjects, like biology, are hard for me. I have had to learn to ask the right questions to succeed. Now, when faced with tough material I ask myself: “How can I be better at this? How can I learn this?” It’s a whole new way of thinking.” Critical thinking like this is the first pillar of the Reynolds Honors Program.
When asked about a fun personal fact Meghan would want others to know about her, she shared this: “I was a Maine State Champion in softball (catcher and shortstop) and cheerleading, and I have visited 32 state capitols.”
Really. Meet Meghan now, while you have the opportunity. Anyone who has visited 32 state capitols and has interned for the Virginia General Assembly has some stories to tell.
