Ride Along with Reynolds -- October 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.

Get ready to supercharge your knowledge on the latest episode of Ride Along with Reynolds! From game-changing partnerships to soaring high school dual enrollment and milestone achievements, we're taking you on a journey you won't want to miss.

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.

Exciting times at Reynolds Community College! It looks like and feels like momentum—from bustling open houses to full-to-the-brim parking lots. There's no denying the palpable energy that's been buzzing around our campuses. You can see it in our growth, the new programs we're launching and the state-of-the-art facilities we're opening.

But let's not forget the data that tells the story. Just last month, we celebrated surpassing our ambitious enrollment and retention goals. We didn't just meet our targets—we surpassed them! More students are signing up, with several of our academic schools far exceeding their own goals. Even better, our retention rates have rebounded above pre-pandemic levels.

We're doing more than just getting students in the door. We're making sure they finish what they start and find success both in our classrooms and in the job market. Case in point: 100% of our recent nursing graduates aced their NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) licensure exams and stepped straight into much-needed roles in health care. Over the past year, we've touched the lives of nearly 17,000 students—and that's a sweet note to hold on to.

Speaking of a sweet note, we're thrilled about our new collaboration with the City of Richmond that aims to enrich the skill sets of more than 3,000 city employees. We're leveraging our unique local connection to provide targeted upskilling and reskilling opportunities in fields like automotive technology, welding, accounting and more.

Mayor Levar Stoney shared his excitement at a recent event: "No matter what walk of life you may have, you can come here and take your life and put it in a whole different trajectory. And that's where we're grateful for this partnership with Reynolds Community College. I'm thrilled!"

Thank you, Mr. Mayor—and let's not forget our younger scholars. This semester, more than 1,800 high schoolers are enrolled in dual-credit courses at Reynolds. Many are part of our Advance College Academy and Early College Academy programs—and they're not just attending classes; they're thriving. By the time they graduate high school, they will have an associate degree from Reynolds in their hands. So far, 1,370 students have seized this opportunity, setting themselves on a path toward long-term success.

And as September came to a close, we held a special 9/11 Tower Challenge Stair Climb. Our EMS students and faculty climbed the equivalent of 110 stories—the height of each World Trade Center tower. It was our heartfelt tribute to the brave souls we lost that day and a testament to the heroes who live on in our memory.

And so, as we look forward to what comes next, one thing's for sure—at Reynolds, the best is yet to come. Thank you for joining me for this episode of Ride Along with Reynolds. See you next month!