When Jim Allison entered the Peace Corps, he carried to a greater extent than amongst him than a curiosity at seeing the world. With his just-earned Engineering AS marking from Reynolds, Jim spent the slow Eighties installing H2O systems inwards the Philippines. Sharing a express joy amongst his married adult woman Milette, who he met piece there, Jim recalls, “I mean value the boarding occupation solid nosotros lived inwards charged 100 bucks a month. But, those were peachy times.”
Like then many J. Sarge alumni, Jim’s “road to Reynolds” floor is especially fascinating because he was an adult educatee when he made the conclusion to enroll. Growing upward inwards Northern Virginia, Jim showtime attended college every bit a educatee at Randolph-Macon, which brought him closer to Richmond. “And, I’d ever worked construction. But, recruiters in addition to caput hunters kept bespeak me if I’d ever idea of becoming an engineer. I heard it from then many folks that I decided to accept a serious await at it, in addition to that’s how I ended upward at Reynolds.” It was a completely dissimilar academic sense for Jim – and, he flourished inwards it.
“The strange matter is that I’d exactly squeaked past times at Randolph-Macon. Then, I got to Reynolds in addition to everything turned around. The labor of Reynolds is to ready you lot for the side past times side measurement in addition to they create it incredibly well. For instance, the professors are in that place to teach; their focus isn’t on publishing. And, because of that, they are first-class instructors.” In particular, Jim credits physician M.L. Foy in addition to Fred McConnell for the fundamentals of applied scientific discipline he learned inwards their classrooms.
Jim recalls a fourth dimension when his report grouping was coming together on a Dominicus afternoon. They were stumped past times a math occupation in addition to decided to telephone telephone their teacher at home. “He truly drove inwards from Short Pump, in addition to this was when Short Pump was truly the country. He drove inwards exactly to plough over us an extra lesson. Not many professors would necessarily create that.”
After Reynolds, Jim headed to Virginia Tech where he earned his Master’s Degree inwards Engineering. He worked every bit an engineer for the City of Richmond earlier leaving to assist Milette run the couple’s business, a successful childcare catch inwards Midlothian called The Learning Playhouse.
Since 2007, Jim in addition to Milette Allison own got supported JSRCC every bit donors, adding precious resources to the college’s annual fund, the Fund for Reynolds. “I ever figured I would plough over back. It’s a fine schoolhouse in addition to I’ve had a issue to compare it to. For what it wants to do, Reynolds only does it the best.”