2012-13 Student Ambassadors



Julia Allen

Julia has lived in various places because she is in a military family, but she is currently in the Richmond area studying Science at Reynolds.  She wanted to become an Ambassador to get more involved with her peers and faculty while improving her leadership and public speaking skills. She chose JSRCC because it is affordable, the classes are smaller and therefore provide more individualized attention, and it offers guaranteed admissions to many universities.

When asked what she likes best about attending JSRCC, she said, “the teachers and staff are welcoming and I feel like they care about the students’ academic success.”

In Spring 2013, she graduates with an Associate of Science and plans to transfer to the University of Virginia to major in Biology. She eventually plans to attend the medical school at Johns Hopkins.

Mckenzie Carroll

McKenzie is from Bumpass, Virginia, and is working toward a social science degree. She wanted to be an Ambassador so she could help during summer orientation and get students excited and ready for fall classes. Her mother is a former Student Ambassador and her brother is also an Ambassador. They enjoyed the experience so she knew she would too.

McKenzie chose to attend Reynolds because she knew it was a good school and was attracted by the guaranteed transfer agreements with four-year institutions. When asked what she likes best about attending school at JSRCC, she said, “I like the atmosphere of JSRCC.  The people are nice and the professors are friendly.  The small classes are also a great environment for learning.”

In the Fall 2014, she plans to attend Virginia Tech and complete a degree in Journalism. 

Zac Carroll

Zac attended Hanover High School and is currently studying Automotive Technology and Business Administration. He wanted to be an Ambassador to get involved in campus life and to meet new people.  He decided to attend Reynolds because it was affordable, close to home, and had small classes. He decided to take different classes and is now committed to two programs. Zac finds the instructors approachable and helpful.

Zac plans to complete his coursework at Reynolds in Summer 2013 and will transfer to VCU.

Miriam Guede

Mariam is from Hamburg, Germany and is in the Business Administration program. She speaks many languages including French, German, English, and Hausa, and enjoys playing tennis. Mariam wanted to be an Ambassador so she could get involved in campus life, get others involved, and help others understand the advantages of a community college. At Reynolds, she likes the small class sizes and the variety of clubs that students can join.

She graduates in Spring 2013 and plans to attend VCU to finish her degree in Business.   

Jessica Ibinson

Jessica grew up in a military family and moved around a lot – more than 20 times. She is currently studying Engineering at Reynolds. She wanted to be an Ambassador because it was a great way to get involved and meet people. 

When asked why she chose to attend Reynolds, Jessica said, “I took a break after high school because I wanted to work and figure out what I wanted to do. I worked in the Pentagon for a Department of Defense Engineering firm and I was so excited by the field.  When I found out J.Sarge has an Engineering program, I was sold!” 

At Reynolds, she is impressed with the dedication of the professors and also likes the quiet floor in the library. She plans to graduate in Spring 2013 and continue college through VCU’s Engineering program. 

Shannon Kingston

Shannon is from Richmond and is in the transfer program for Science. She decided to become a Student Ambassador so she could be more involved in school functions. She chose to attend Reynolds because she has three children and Reynolds is affordable and convenient for her busy schedule. She likes the diversity of the institution and the personal level in which she gets to know professors, due to small class sizes.

In 2013 she plans to transfer to VCU and pursue a bio-chemistry degree and then attend pharmacy school.

d´Shanté Smith

d´Shanté is from Freeport, Grand Bahama and is studying Engineering. She wanted to be an Ambassador to become more involved with College, to develop leadership skills, and to meet new people. She chose Reynolds due to a combination of affordability and quality.

She calls JSRCC her second home, enjoys the friendly environment, likes the guaranteed transfer agreements, and knows that the professors give students the same knowledge that they would receive at a four-year university. She graduates in Spring 2013 and intends to transfer to VCU’s Engineering program.

Sierra White

Sierra is from Richmond and is in the Social Science transfer program. After getting involved with another organization on campus, she was told about the Ambassador program and thought it would be a great opportunity to remain involved. She chose to attend JSRCC because two weeks before moving to a leading 4-year university, her financial aid was taken away. JSRCC was the only school that called her back with all of the answers she needed in a short amount of time before fall classes began. She enjoys the people and opportunities at Reynolds.

She plans to graduate in Fall 2013 and transfer to George Mason University. She plans to continue her education by pursuing a master’s degree at Howard University.