11th Annual Scholarship Bowl

The 11^th annual Scholarship Bowl took place on Saturday, February 1^st.  The turnout of supporters ready to bowl on an early Saturday morning was amazing! The 103 bowlers comprising 24 teams raised a total of $1,744.50 towards the Classified Council Scholarship.  

 Award Results:

 High Score Bowler - Rollin Bostock, score 214, team SNAH #4

 Lowest Score Bowler (spirit counts!) - Sarah Moss, score 41, team CCWA Plus

 Most Spirited Bowler - Carolyn Loftin, team Reynolds’ Ravens #2

 Best team name - Minds in the Gutter  with team members: Larry Long, Chad Taylor, Daniel Mietla, and Jerom Jones

 Trophy Winners:

3^rd place- SNAH #5 (A.K.A. - Great Balls of Fire) with team members Elaine Beaupre, Adorna Hayward, and Alan Crouch

2^nd place- The Extras with team members Stephen Smith, Robin Smith, Kim Pomier, and Mazhar Anik 

  

1st place- Team Vexor with team members: Kimberly Talley-Bryant, Karen Houchens, William Judon, and Carlos Vieira

The Classified Council could not have pulled this successful fundraising event off without the help of some other key Scholarship Bowl supporters at Reynolds:

Dr. LeRosen served as the official "Scholarship Bowl Photographer" and the photos are outstanding, a sample of which are shown below. 

Dean Hunter and her team at The School of Nursing and Allied Health supported the event with a total of five bowling teams competing this year.  

Reynolds’ team spirit was shining bright thanks to the Office of Marketing and Larry Long at Follett Bookstore for the abundance of donated T-shirts, banners, pens, sweatshirts, and cups for our raffle.

Marianne McGhee from the Office of Institutional Advancement covered the event and David Cloer from Applications Development and Support helped with all that took place behind the scenes with the online registration form.

Last and certainly not least, many kudos to Kim Cain for her tremendous work in planning and organizing an event of this magnitude.  

It’s never too early to start practicing for next year! 

Additional pictures

Reynolds student honored

About 500 people attended Richmond magazine's third annual Elby Awards on January 26 to honor


the Richmond region's restaurant community. Congratulations to Reynolds Culinary Arts student Celeste Bolling Eisinger for being named as one of two Culinary Students of the Year.
Read the full story.

Reynolds students visit Virginia General Assembly

As a part of the Virginia Community College System’s “Every day is Community College Day”, delegations of Reynolds students attended the Virginia General Assembly on three separate occasions over the last month sharing their college experiences and stories with a number of lawmakers.

“It is important that they hear your story,” noted Reynolds President Gary Rhodes. “They hear from me many times during session, but they would much rather hear directly from you about your life or college story. You represent Virginia’s future, so your concerns are of interest to them.”

Following morning visits with legislatures, the students walked to the Virginia State Capitol where they toured the building that holds the nation’s oldest legislative body. During the general assembly sessions, each group was welcomed and recognized in the House of Representatives or the Senate.

 

“I wanted them to know how important it is to keep the cost of tuition as low as possible,” noted Reynolds student Brian Marube. “This year’s proposed budget is very friendly to the community colleges and I hope they keep as much of it in place as possible.”

During one of the visits, the students were join by VCCS board member Admiral Fountain and Reynolds board members Mark Creery and Rick Rush. On their last visit, the students delivered chocolates made by the college’s culinary arts students.

Reynolds Change Agents: Apple Spice Junction

Mac Purrington, CeAnn Cottingham, and Jamar Johnson of Apple Spice Junction

You’ve seen the van on campus.  With the Apple Spice Junction logo emblazoned on the sides, it’s usually filled with delicious catered breakfasts or lunches, providing precious fuel for meetings and gatherings. It turns out that as we’ve been watching the Apple Spice staff hard at work, they’ve been keeping their eyes on us, too. “We’ve seen two buildings go up at Parham since we’ve been here,” says owner Mac Purrington. “We’ve watched the Downtown Campus get renovated. We go out to Goochland, too.  The growth has been amazing. We opened not long after Dr. Rhodes got here. Judy Harris was one of our first customers, and it’s been a great relationship ever since.”   

A testament to that relationship is Mac Purrington’s decision to donate five percent of the eatery’s December 5^th sales to benefit the Reynolds scholarship students. “Giving back is the right thing to do; the challenge is deciding to whom.  We get requests every week.  You have to find the right opportunity. It has to be something that speaks to you and your employees, something that speaks to your business.  I like that the scholarship students are hand-picked. You know they’re going to use the money and not squander the opportunity.”   

Staff and faculty who participated in the Apple Spice Junction day helped bring in nearly $800! Our scholarship students – and the faculty and staff who support them – are hardworking and dedicated. Just like the deliciously talented team at Apple Spice Junction.

 

 

VCCS Listening Tour stops at Reynolds Community College

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College hosted the eighth and final stop of the VCCS Fall Listening Tour on Thursday, December 5 in the Workforce Development & Conference Center at the Parham Road Campus.

VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois has been conducting a series of listening tour sessions around the state, giving him the opportunity to hear directly from elected, community, education, economic development and business leaders about challenges that would benefit from greater community college focus.  Work on the third strategic plan of DuBois’ tenure as chancellor will begin in January, and continue throughout 2014. 

Thursday’s meeting was well attended by business and community leaders, educators, local entrepreneurs, board members, faculty and staff.  Topics of discussion included job retaining for workers as technology advances, formalizing internships programs, increasing community awareness of community college offerings such as the Guaranteed Transfer program and Advanced College Academy, programs for adult learners, and investigating ways that small businesses could increase their engagement with community colleges to the benefit of both.

 “Increasingly, community colleges are being looked at as the go-to place for bringing a community together and building a consensus for designing its future. That’s a new 21st century role that we are being asked to fulfill, and our community colleges are up to the task,” said DuBois.

DuBois expects to announce the members of a taskforce that will create the next VCCS six-year strategic plan in the next few days.  The plan will succeed the current VCCS six-year strategic plan, Achieve 2015.

Valley Proteins Fellow: Margo Fairchild

Each time Margo Fairchild enters a class at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, she envisions herself as an empty cup ready to be filled with knowledge.

Margo hasn’t always been so dedicated to formal education. At the end of her junior year at Massaponax High School in Fredericksburg, despite a good academic record she lost interest in school. She dropped out, earned her GED at 16 years of age, and spent the next four years working with no real plans for her future. Eventually she found herself longing for something more. She enrolled at Reynolds in the fall of 2012 where she discovered a new thirst for knowledge and a desire to pursue a career helping others. Just over a year later she’s already well on her way to that future. 

According to Margo, she fell in love with her Spanish class at Reynolds. Her professor, Maria Espiritu, recognized Margo’s talent and enthusiasm and suggested she take on the role of tutoring students in Spanish 101, so Margo did just that. Margo’s hard work resulted in a 4.0 grade point average in her first year at Reynolds and induction to the PTK honor society.

In May 2013 Margo learned she had been selected as a member of the 2013-2014 class of Valley Proteins Fellows. In addition to covering the cost of tuition the scholarship program also offers opportunities for professional development, travel and cultural experiences, a stipend for an internship and a community service project. Margo credits her receipt of the Valley Proteins Fellowship to Reynolds Scholarship Manager Nichole Page who advised her of the scholarship opportunity and prompted her to apply. “The fellowship has meant so much to me, most importantly peace of mind as I don’t have to worry about working to pay for my classes, allowing me to concentrate on my studies.” 

Seeking an opportunity to immerse herself in the Spanish language over the summer of 2013, Margo and her roommate engaged in a fundraising campaign hoping to raise enough funds to finance a three-week trip to Guatemala to volunteer at an orphanage with about 60 children. The fundraising campaign was so successful that in addition to financing their trip and making a financial donation to the orphanage, the young women were able to purchase Earthbox container garden systems for the orphanage. They set a goal of teaching the children sustainable gardening during their stay, with a vision of expanding the orphanage’s food supply. The gardening system boxes were shipped from Mexico to Guatemala and were waiting for them when they arrived, along with a farming specialist who traveled from Mexico to Guatemala to provide instruction in the use of the Earthboxes.   

It was while she was in Guatemala that Margo was offered the opportunity, as a Valley Proteins Fellow, to attend the 2013 International Youth Organization Forum in China along with 200 other students representing 26 countries. She jumped at the opportunity. During her week-long trip in October Margo enjoyed many new experiences, meeting and exchanging ideas with students from many different cultures and visiting landmarks like the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.  

Margo plans to transfer to VCU in the fall of 2014 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a minor in Spanish. Her long term goal is to pursue a career helping people of many different cultures, perhaps by increasing their food security through sustainable gardening. Whatever path she chooses, Margo is well on her way to a bright future.

Are you a college advisor? You better believe it!

So now you ask, “Where’s my first paycheck for my advising services?”  Hmmm, well that’s not going to happen for a few more years assuming you follow that education/career path; nonetheless since you’re now a seasoned Reynolds student, they will be asking for your advice about, well, college.  The ubiquitous “they” may be underclassmen from your old high school, “they” may friends and family members, and/or “they” may be the guys you work with. They are those who populate one or more of your own information networks.  

Most people accept the often-used four word formula for success, i.e., “make yourself more useful,” which frequently involves getting more education.  As they begin to think about their educational options, Reynolds is certainly on the radar screen for those who live in and around Greater Richmond.  So they’ll be asking you questions like, “Does Reynolds offer fill-in-the-blank program?”  “What’s it cost to go to Reynolds?”  “How are the teachers?” “Is it hard?” etc., etc., until they get to, “How do I get off to a good start?” and this is where you can really shine as someone’s college advisor.

In the opinion of this writer, the three most important items on the how-do-I-get-a-good-start list include,

1.      Take your college placement tests for reading, writing and math, and follow the recommendations. 

2.      Before your classes start, participate in a FREE Reynolds orientation program such as SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration) or a SOAR derivative.  These programs are only a few hours in length but they can be THE decisive factor in getting a good start.  

3.      During your first semester include SDV100-College Success Skills in your schedule of classes.  Don't be tempted to blow this class off as inconsequential because there is solid evidence that students who take this course and take it seriously simply do better in terms of grades and persistence.  An even better way to take this course is when it’s linked up with another course to form what’s called a “learning community.” 

Uh Oh!  A new term has just been introduced; what is a “learning community”?  A learning community (LC) is when two course sections in the same semester are linked together and the same students enroll in both course sections. Professors work together to coordinate assignments, content, and improve crossover learning between the courses.   WHY?  Just as with SDV 100, students tend to do better in and as a result of LC participation.  They’re happier, more engaged in their classes as well as with their professors and with other students. 

One of Reynolds most popular learning communities links SDV100 with ENG111 (Composition Skills I) and this LC is branded as “Getting a Clue” or simply “Clue.”   As you may suspect ENG111 is as writing course so by linking ENG111 with SDV100, students are able to reinforce the college success and survival skills discussed in SDV100 by writing about them in ENG111. Think of synergy.  Clue will assist its students along the path to making certain critical life choices (like picking a major, a career, or a transfer college) by teaching how to set goals, improve productivity, and develop the habits needed to ensure success in school and in life.  Reynolds’ Clue LC was awarded the Virginia Community College System’s first-place honors for Excellence in Education in the spring of 2010.  Keep up the good work guys. 

Somewhere above I mentioned your information networks.  Another thing that these LCs tend to accomplish is helping students to form their own reliable information networks; which is simply an outgrowth of enrolling the same group of students in two (or occasionally more) course sections.  These students see each other twice as often and it gets easier to pick out who’s reliable and who’s just taking up a seat in class, and then to approach another student (hopefully one of the reliable ones!) to form a study group or ask about a homework assignment.  So a direct benefit to you of these learning communities is that your gang will stop bugging you with all these questions when they begin to use their own newly-formed information networks! 

The following quotes come from three of Reynolds’ Clue LC students, 

This class really did restore my confidence in both my writing and myself.  The realization that I’m going to make it in college, that I can do this, is priceless to me and I’m so grateful.

I have found myself, for the first time, open to the discoveries of knowledge that college can provide.  As I have come to realize, college is not about grades or tests (though their importance is not lost on me), but rather being able to open your mind to the possibilities of further ways of thinking… I have learned more about myself in four months than I had in the previous twenty-one years.

Honestly, if I hadn’t taken this LC I would still be following the path of something that just wasn’t right for me. It’s intimidating to venture off the path and out of a career that I thought was right for me, but I know that it is necessary. All of these years I was very close minded about thoughts of other careers and possibilities.

For more info about LCs see www.Reynolds.edu/LC  

Charlie Peterson is Assistant Dean of Educational Support Services, Professor and Director of Learning Communities at Reynolds Community College

 

 

Reynolds Automotive Technology Programs earn Accreditation Renewal

The J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College automotive technology programs have achieved renewed accreditation status from the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) for an additional five years. 

Founded in 1983, NATEF’s mission is to improve the quality of automotive technician training programs nationwide by examining the structure, resources and quality of training programs and evaluating them against standards established by the industry.  By ensuring training programs meet the highest standards, NATEF accreditation benefits everyone from schools, students and future employers, to the automotive service industry and everyone driving on our nation’s roads.

The five-step accreditation process includes an extensive self-evaluation performed by program instructors, administrators and advisory committee members and an on-site evaluation conducted by an ASE Master-certified Evaluation Team Leader.

The findings of the October 18 on-site review were overwhelmingly positive and the lead reviewer noted, “This program is a shining example of how it can be done.”  Other reviewer comments included:

•             A very progressive program that teaches the very latest technology using the latest state of the art equipment and methods.

•             The programs are very well organized and staffed with excellent personnel.

•             The facility and equipment are meticulously maintained.

•             The automotive department head and instructors have gone above and beyond to develop and improve the curriculum.

“The NATEF accreditation process ensures that the Reynolds Community College automotive technology programs are of the highest standards.  We are pleased with the results of the accreditation renewal process and look forward to continuing to offer cutting edge educational opportunities to our students,” noted Kelly Schwendeman, Program Head, Automotive Technology.

For information on the automotive technology programs please visit www.reynolds.edu or contact Kelly Schwendeman at lschwndeman@reynolds.edu or Alan Couch at acrouch@reynolds.edu.

 

Reynolds Change Agents: Innsbrook Rotary Club and Henrico Fire E-21

Reynolds Change Agents is a new spotlight series in Campus Happenings highlighting the spirit of service and philanthropy by and for Reynolds Community College.

This week, see why riding the bucket truck was just one of the highlights at a recent visit to Henrico County Fire Station E-21 by the Innsbrook Rotary, and learn how these (adventurous) Rotarians are making a difference for students.  Watch the story here.  

The Educational Foundation is tremendously thankful for the support we receive from local Rotary clubs to help students achieve their goals.

Sin Nombre

Sponsored by the Multicultural Enrichment Council, Reynolds’ "Around the World through Movies" recently presented Sin Nombre. Attendees included Reynolds students, staff, faculty and guests from the Richmond community.

Sin Nombre is about a beautiful young Honduran woman, Sayra, who joins her father and uncle on an odyssey en route to the United States seeking the promise of America. Along the way she crosses paths with a Mexican gang member who is trying to outrun his violent past and elude his former associates. Together they must rely on faith, trust and street smarts if they are to survive their increasingly perilous journey towards the hope of new lives.

Carlos Ossandon, Assistant Professor of Spanish led pre and post movie discussions that highlighted migration versus immigration as well as driving forces and causes behind Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. He also shed more light on some fascinating statistics on various immigrant populations from Central and South America in the U.S.

The audience enjoyed a variety of refreshments from El Salvador.  The movie was followed by a post discussion where many students and staff won prizes including many items donated by the Reynolds bookstores and the Office of Marketing.

 

Phi Theta Kappa inducts 107 Reynolds students

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Chapters of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society held their annual fall induction ceremony on Saturday, November 2 in the Lipman Auditorium of the Massey Library Technology Center at the Parham Road Campus. Students who have completed 12 transferable credit hours and have a 3.3 cumulative GPA at the college are invited to join PTK every fall and spring semester.  

Alpha Iota Beta Chapter President Tiffany Plumber opened the festivities and Reynolds President Gary Rhodes welcomed the audience. 117 new members were inducted, many of whom participated in the ceremony. 

Ms. Dawn Beninghove, founder of Companion Extraordinaire Home Care Services, delivered a motivational speech as the keynote speaker, emphasizing the importance of being both a leader and a servant. Beninghove graduated from Reynolds in 1981 with a degree in nursing. 

“You are here because you have recognized that academic achievement is a plan that gives you a hope for your future,” Beninghove explained to the inductees. “PTK provides an opportunity for you to develop your leadership skills and continue on this path of academic excellence.” 

In closing Beninghove stated, “Never, ever underestimate the power of a plan no matter how humble it’s beginning. Each time you learn something new, the world around you becomes richer and fuller of opportunities at every turn. Life can only be completely understood looking at it backwards, but must be lived forward…..live forward every day.” 

Established in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society serves to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students and provide opportunities for individual growth and development through honors, leadership and service programming.  Reynolds has two chapters at the college.  The Alpha Iota Beta chapter represents members enrolled in programs at the Parham Road Campus and the Alpha Gamma Omicron chapter represents members enrolled in programs at the Goochland and Downtown campuses.  Reynolds has inducted 4,604 members since 1982.

PTK-Fall 2013
 

Middle College Program Honored at Richmond History Makers

The Middle College program at Reynolds Community College was honored on October 15, 2013 as a recepient of a 2013 Richmond History Makers award.  The Richmond History Makers, launched in 2005 by the Valentine Richmond History Center, "honor and celebrate those everyday citizens and outstanding organizations that are making significant contributions to the greater Richmond region."

The Middle College program helps young adults, 18-24, earn a GED, transition to post-secondary coursework or training, and learn a practical job skill.  The four-month program affords students intensive and personalized instruction, but it is the student’s work ethic that ultimately determines her or his success.  Since 2003, more than 800 students have enrolled in Middle College; 76% have graduated and earned a GED, with nearly half continuing their education – an amazing achievement, as Middle College receives no direct state funding and is supported by grants and private philanthropy. The program gives stability, skills, and hope to our young people, changing their lives and our communities for the better.

Photo: Middle College program administrators Jackie Epps and Mary Jo Washko with Reynolds Community College President Dr. Gary Rhodes. (Photo courtesy Valentine Richmond History Center)

Update: WRIC story on the Richmond History Makers awards.


For more information about the Middle College program at Reynolds click here

For more information about the 2013 Richmond History Makers honorees click here

Great Expectations Students Meet, Greet, and Eat

Author Devan Mitchell and Dedra Hampton, Great Expectations Coordinator

A group of about 20 J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Great Expectations students gathered on Tuesday, September 24 to celebrate the success of one of their own and to explore a new mentoring opportunity.

Great Expectations Coordinator Dedra Hampton introduced guest speaker Davon Mitchell, a Great Expectations student and newly published author.  Davon spoke of his journey in foster care, the benefits of his participation in the Great Expectations program, and how he met Nina Wells, a publisher, at a Great Expectation forum a few years ago.  Ms. Wells, impressed by Davon after speaking with him, promised that she would help him publish the book he was writing if he stayed in school and graduated.  Mitchell is on track to graduate from Reynolds this year, and Ms. Wells recently delivered on her promise.  Copies of Mitchell’s new book were distributed to lucky door prize winners at the gathering. 

Dedra Hampton also introduced Sean Scott, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer working with the Great Expectations Program.  Sean has been charged with developing a new mentoring program to match volunteer mentors with youth to advise and accompany them through higher education and their everyday lives.  The group enjoyed refreshments while exploring and discussing the mentoring needs of Great Expectation students. 

For more information about the Great Expectations program, please contact Dedra Hampton at dhampton@reynolds.edu or 523-5294.

 

16th Annual Scholarship Luncheon

The annual J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Scholarship Luncheon is an opportunity for the College’s scholarship donors to meet the recipients of their generosity and is always a heartwarming affair. This year’s luncheon, on Thursday, September 26, was certainly no exception. More than 220 donors, students, board members and faculty took part in this year’s celebration.

The luncheon was the perfect setting for donors and student recipients to meet each other, many for the first time. Smiles and tears abounded as grateful scholarship students relayed the positive impact the scholarships have had on their lives and how they are now able to pursue their dreams.

For the last academic year, the J. Sargeant Reynolds Educational Foundation awarded scholarships totaling more than $434,000, opening the doors of opportunity for 387 students.

Students addressing the gathering included Joshua McVeigh, who spoke on behalf of the Reynolds Scholars, Margo Fairchild, a 2013 Valley Proteins Fellow, and Justin Terry, the first recipient of the Steven Ridley Memorial Scholarship.

 At the conclusion of the luncheon donors and recipients paired up for pictures to commemorate the day’s festivities. For more information about available scholarships, how to apply and important deadlines, visit www.reynolds.edu/scholarship.

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College named as Military Friendly School for 2014

The fifth-annual Military Friendly Schools® list was released on September 10, 2013 by Victory Media, and once again J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College made the list.  The Military Friendly Schools® designation is awarded to the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students and ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation.

The 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools® was compiled through extensive research and a free, data-driven, survey of more than 10,000 VA-approved schools nationwide. The survey results that comprise the 2014 list were independently tested by Ernst & Young LLP based upon the weightings and methodology established by Victory Media. Each year, schools taking the survey are held to a higher standard than the previous year via improved methodology, criteria and weightings developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board (AAB) consisting of educators from schools across the country.

This year’s Military Friendly Schools ® list criteria also incorporate a survey of over 4,000 actual student veterans. This feedback provides prospective military students with insight into the student veteran experience at particular institutions based on peer reviews from current students.

The 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools can be found at militaryfriendly.com. 

There are 385 veterans enrolled at Reynolds this semester.  Patrice Jones, student success center coordinator noted, “We are pleased that J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s commitment to supporting and advancing educational opportunities for those who have served our country has been recognized and that our designation as ‘military friendly’ has been extended for 2014.”

For information regarding educational benefits for veterans at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, please contact the Office of Student Affairs at (804) 523-5368.

Reynolds Information Center Celebrates One Millionth Call

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Information Center celebrated its 10 year anniversary just last month, on August 5.  On September 4 the Center achieved another milestone - servicing its 1,000,000^th caller.  The Information Center staff fields calls for all of the three Reynolds campuses and the Ginter Park Center.  Frequently asked questions include questions about admissions, financial aid, registration and queries about special events.

(L-R) Terri Britt, Sidney Young, Dr. Gary Rhodes and Marianne McGhee

The lucky 1,000,000^th caller was Sidney Young of Henrico County who will begin classes at Reynolds in January 2014 planning to pursue a degree in nursing.  You might say that nursing is in her blood as she is following in the footsteps of her mother, aunt and grandmother.  With a 4 year-old son just beginning pre-school, Sidney decided it was time to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. 

On September 4 Sidney called the Information Center to inquire about the status of her financial aid application.  According to Sidney, she received a very prompt, concise and professional response to her question and then was asked to hold for one moment.   Information Center Manager Terri Britt came back on the line, amid a background of clapping and cheering, and congratulated Sidney on being the Information Center’s 1,000,000^th caller.  After finally convincing Sidney that the celebration was real, Sidney agreed to visit with the Information Center staff on Thursday, September 12^th to commemorate the milestone. 

To Sidney’s surprise when she arrived on September 12 she was greeted by Reynolds President Dr. Gary Rhodes, Director of Development Marianne McGhee, Information Center Manager Terri Britt and many other staff members and a celebration that included cake, balloons, Reynolds giveaways, and a $1,000 scholarship.  Amid a few tears of joy, Sidney expressed her thanks and excitement at the prospect of beginning classes in January.

The Information Center is open from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Over the last ten years the center has grown from a staff of one full-time and two part-time staff members to eight full-time staff members that answer an average of 100,000 calls per year. 

Gubernatorial Candidate Terry McAuliffe completes tour of Virginia Community Colleges with visit to J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College

Senator Tim Kaine, McKenzie Carroll, Terry McAuliffe, William Quarles and Dr. Gary Rhodes

Gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe fulfilled his pledge to visit all 23 Virginia Community Colleges with a visit to Reynolds on Friday, September 6 accompanied by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine.


Reynolds President Dr. Gary Rhodes greeted the visitors and introduced Student Ambassador McKenzie Carroll who led the group on a brief tour of the Parham Road Campus.

William Quarles, Terry McAuliffe, Professor Deborah Neely-Fisher and Senator Tim Kaine

McAuliffe and Kaine visited Professor Deborah Neely-Fisher’s ecology lab where the candidate and senator joined students in examining micro-organisms through microscopes and emphasized the importance of acquiring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills.

The group also toured the new welding lab in the Workforce Development and Conference Center where they chatted with CCWA’s Assistant Vice President for Open Enrollment Natalie Meredith about the Growing America through Entrepreneurship (GATE) program and the Adult Career Choice program.  

The visit culminated with a roundtable discussion with college administrators on a variety of topics including distance learning, academic excellence, the importance of early childhood education, new academic programs, workforce programs and community college challenges. 

McAuliffe noted, “In order to fill jobs for the 21st century I have said consistently that the community colleges are your engines for workforce development. I believe I am the first candidate for governor to visit all 23 community colleges. I want you to know that as governor this is a top priority for me, to focus on these community colleges.”