Ride Along with Reynolds -- June 2023

Ride Along with Reynolds, a series about where the college is heading, who's joining us for the ride, and why it matters for our students and the community.

Transcript

Hi, I’m President Paula Pando inviting you to Ride Along with Reynolds — a regular update on where the college is heading, who’s joining us for the journey, and why it matters for our students and community.

Everyone, this is the moment! It’s when the questions our students have grappled with — “Can I do this? Is it worth it? Is college for me?” — finally get answered. But when they hear their names and take their magical walk to reach for their diplomas, the answer is crystal clear: absolutely yes!

This year, 1,446 individuals completed what they started — ages 17 to 73 — and over the course of this year, more than 1,800 students took college-level classes while still in high school. Of those, 258 earned an associate degree. All of our graduates have a unique story, but there is one that brought the entire Siegel Center to its feet.

Seven years ago, Khalil Watson was a victim of gun violence that left him paralyzed. Through the use of a robotic exoskeleton, Khalil walked across the stage for his diploma to thunderous applause and appreciation. Khalil’s walk captured hearts around the globe — from CBS This Morning and ABC World News Tonight all the way to the Daily Mail in London and BFM TV in Paris. We congratulate every one of our students who persisted to earn their degree. Their accomplishments are also good news for the industries eager to hire them, especially our local health care systems.

The Class of 2023 included nearly 300 newly credentialed health care professionals, among them respiratory therapists, nurses, practical nurses, certified medical assistants, EMTs, pharmacy technicians, and more. Reynolds continues to power the workforce to care for our community. And as we know, advice for new graduates is plentiful — and sometimes invaluable.

When culinary arts alumnus Chef Ryan Manning was back in Richmond working with our students for 50Feast, they were eager to hear his words of wisdom for making it in one of the most competitive industries of all. Chef Manning shared this advice: “Probably the biggest advice would be, never say no. If the opportunity is there, somebody's asking you to do something and you’re able to do it time-wise, and if it’s ethical to do it, then always say yes — because you never know whether that volunteer opportunity to work side by side with another chef or another person in your industry will set you up for your next career step or next path that you're going to go down that you maybe didn't even plan.”

Another very special guest visiting The Kitchens at Reynolds was Sous Chef Doré, lending his talents to a pretty adventurous dessert alongside Chef Jesse Miller and getting to meet with students as well.

Chancellor Doré’s tour of Reynolds included a visit to the Downtown Campus, where he could see for himself the new technology and lab spaces in our health care and IT programs that border on science fiction — but the practical experiences our students take away are very real and very marketable.

Lastly, I had the honor of being named the recipient of the 2023 YWCA Outstanding Woman Award in Education. To be recognized alongside such impactful women in our region was an incredible moment, made even more special with my family in town to share it. And yes, while my name was on the award, it's the work that we do as a college and community that was truly recognized.

I want to congratulate our students and faculty on an amazing academic year. What a journey — and thank you for joining us on this edition of Ride Along with Reynolds!