Ride Along with Reynolds -- December 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.
We're celebrating the holidays by reflecting on the milestones we've achieved at Reynolds Community College in 2023. It's been a banner year for us, with new spaces, new faces and new and strengthened partnerships.
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.
As the year winds down and a new one approaches, I'm filled with pride reflecting on the milestones we've achieved at Reynolds Community College in 2023. It's been a banner year for us, marked by the launch of incredible new facilities that underscore our commitment to providing top-notch educational spaces. These spaces are more than just buildings; they're springboards for our students to leap into well-paying, modern careers.
Our Downtown Campus has blossomed with state-of-the-art skilled trades labs tailored for the surging HVAC and electrical industries, and a dynamic tech hub that's fueling our cybersecurity program's growth. Our students in the health professions programs now hone their skills in simulation labs that mirror real-life medical scenarios, while groundbreaking Anatomage tables and SynDavers are revolutionizing how health care and life sciences are taught.
We opened our newly renovated Community Room that honors the once-thriving community that was Navy Hill. This beautiful space is quickly turning into one of the go-to event spaces in downtown Richmond. Shifting gears to our Parham Road Campus, we've hit the ground running with our brand-new 14,000-square-foot automotive technology center—a dream garage for our Toyota T-TEN and general automotive programs. With its 12 bays, advanced diagnostic equipment and late-model vehicles to work on, it's a hub of hands-on learning that's already got a waiting list!
But it's not just about the brick and mortar. This year, we've been thrilled to welcome new thinkers and leaders to our college. Internationally renowned educator and author Dr. Arthur Levine sparked vital conversations about the future of higher education in March. In April, 50Fest brought more than 1,000 members of our community together to celebrate not just the college's half-century mark but the very idea of community in higher education.
In May, Virginia Secretary of Labor Bryan Slater joined us for an open house in our new electrical lab and celebrated our new electrical pre-apprenticeship program. And let's give a warm round of applause for VCCS Chancellor Dr. David Doré, who made not one but two memorable visits to our campus, showcasing his dedication to the community college mission.
Our partnerships are thriving and evolving, too. Our collaboration with VCU Health is stronger than ever, creating seamless pathways for our grads into essential health care roles. We joined forces with Independent Electrical Contractors Chesapeake, offering routes to a journeyman license all the way up to business ownership. Our collaboration with the City of Richmond is set to upskill thousands of city employees—a mission already bearing fruit with a cohort from the Department of Public Utilities securing their commercial driver's licenses.
Our partnership with Toyota North America is propelling our T-TEN program into the future with our new automotive facility. And in the East End of Richmond, we forged a promising new alliance with humanitarian relief organization Mercy Chefs at The Kitchens at Reynolds.
So why do these fresh spaces, these vibrant new faces and our deepened partnerships matter so much? It's simple: they're the catalysts that empower our students to cross the finish line of their educational marathon. We celebrated nearly 1,500 students at our spring commencement, and among them were nearly 300 health care warriors ready to step into the field, our nursing grads who nailed their licensure exams with a stellar 100% pass rate, and more than 250 young scholars who achieved the remarkable feat of earning their associate degrees weeks before receiving their high school diplomas.
Let's also shine a light on our brilliant Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and National Association of Black Accountants scholars. And we will never forget the sheer determination of Khalil Watson, whose courage to walk the commencement stage seven years after a life-altering injury inspired not just us but the world. A standing ovation to all our graduates for their relentless drive and resilience.
As the holiday season approaches, I want to extend my warmest wishes to all of you. Serving as president of Reynolds Community College continues to be a privilege that fills my life with such purpose. So, on behalf of the fine faculty, staff and students of Reynolds, here's to closing out a remarkable year and to the even more promising one on the horizon. See you in '24!