Pathways to VCU | VCU, John Tyler, Reynolds

Mellon Pathways Program

Overview

Pathways logo The Mellon Pathways Program is a partnership between Brightpoint Community College (Brightpoint), J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Reynolds), and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). The program offers pathways, resources, and support for students who are completing their associate degree at Brightpoint or Reynolds and planning to transfer to VCU to complete their bachelor’s degree in the arts or humanities.

Participants receive:

Enhanced advising at the community college
Connections and peer mentorship with current VCU students
Career and academic exploration and development
Opportunities to earn stipends for participating in the e-Portfolio component

Students participating in the Mellon Pathways Program also have the opportunity to apply to become a Mellon Research Fellow, where they will receive a stipend to support conducting a research project in the humanities or arts with a faculty member and presenting their work at a year-end colloquium. Being a part of the Mellon Pathways Program provides students with access to resources and a support system to enhance their academic success. It also gives them an opportunity to save money on tuition by taking classes at the community college that count: count towards their degree, count in their future, and count for transfer.

Program requirements

Mellon Pathways students at graduation The Pathways Program is open to students who plan to complete their associate degree at Brightpoint or Reynolds and are considering transfer to VCU for a bachelor’s degree and:

are interested in one of the Pathways majors (African American Studies, Anthropology, Art History, English, Foreign Language, Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, International Studies, Mass Communication, Music, Philosophy, Religious Studies, or Theatre, or who are undecided with interest in arts or humanities.)
have at least one full academic year of study left at the community college or have permission from the program director
are able to attend an online orientation in summer, fall or spring

Apply Now

Log in to your VCCS email account (MyBrightpoint or MyReynolds) and fill in the online declaration form to be considered for Mellon Pathways. Declarations are accepted year-round. Apply now!

Research Fellows

Pathways/Mellon Research Fellows logo

Mellon Research Fellows are motivated Pathways Program students who work with a faculty member on their own research project in the arts or humanities, participate in a mentorship program, and present their work at an end-of-year banquet.

Students who have completed one semester in the Pathways Program are eligible to apply to be Mellon Research Fellows. Through an application process, students are selected as Mellon Research Fellows in spring, and matched with faculty mentors.

Mellon Research Fellows receive:

preparation for upper-level university work, graduate school, and different career paths
enhanced mentorship and advising
a $5000 stipend for the school year

Featured Student Projects

In August 2022, a group of Pathways Program students from Brightpoint and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community Colleges were invited to participate in the Mellon Research Fellows program. Over the next eight months, these students undertook research projects in the humanities and arts under the mentorship of a community college faculty member and a VCU faculty connection. Through weekly meetings with their mentors and peers, attendance at bimonthly symposia, and hours of reading, interviewing, reflection, writing and learning, our amazing Mellon Research Fellows have produced thirteen thoughtful, unique and creative final projects, which can be explored on this webpage.

Below are photos from our May 11 Mellon Research Fellows Year-End Celebration honoring our hardworking students and their wonderful mentors at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

We have completed our application process for the 2023-2024 academic year. Applications for the 2024-2025 year will open in Spring of 2024.

Current Students

Requirements

Pathways logo Login to your MyBrightpoint or MyReynolds account to access Canvas.

Information about current course requirements can be found on our Canvas page.

Students not receiving a stipend meet with their transfer coach and attend three events over the course of the semester.

Students spelling VCS with pool noodles

e-Portfolio

Most of our Pathways Program students participate in the e-Portfolio element of the program. Through the e-Portfolio assignment, students focus on reflective writing and documentation, undertake individual pursuits, create a personal website to use in interviews and applications, practice presentation skills, and receive a stipend. Check out the e-Portfolios of four of our former students here:

Fall e-Portfolios focus on reflection, while spring e-Portfolios incorporate reflection to create a public-facing web presence. The summer session is a time to explore.

Folio Cafes

Folio Cafés are an opportunity for students to discuss the e-Portfolio prompts and their reflections, and to talk about other aspects of the e-Portfolios. Folio Cafés are held multiple times per week. Check out our calendar for the schedule.

Information about current course requirements can be found on our Canvas page.

Instructions for creating an e-Portfolio

Current students can access their e-Portfolio accounts through the Taskstream platform.

Current students can confirm their completion of program requirements on the Pathways Program Canvas site.

Dual Admissions

VCU Dual Admission

Since 2021, the Mellon Pathways program has offered dual admission to VCU for eligible students. There are a number of benefits of applying for dual admission.

Students who complete the Pathways Program dual admissions application:

Apply to VCU for free;
Are able to get a VCU ID card;
Have access to VCU Libraries (online or in-person);
Can follow their progress to a bachelor’s degree on VCU’s eServices;
Are guaranteed admission to VCU upon completion of the Pathways Program;
Have access to many VCU organizations, activities and opportunities;
Seamlessly enroll at VCU upon completion of the Pathways Program.

If you are a current student looking for more information regarding Dual Admission, please click here. Our Fall 2023 dual admission application will be open from October 30-November 3.

Events

Upcoming events

Pathways logo The majority of our events will be virtual but will also include some in-person events. They will include performances by our students, discussions of documentaries and art events, and guest speakers. Stay tuned for descriptions, and check the calendar for the schedule and links.

In addition to Folio Cafés and panels, the Pathways Program hosts virtual events each week. These events are about different aspects of the arts and humanities, and are aligned with student interests. We have been very impressed by the student engagement in our virtual event discussions. Descriptions of upcoming events, as well as links to all current and previous events, can be accessed in our newsletter. Join our mailing list to stay up to date with the Pathways program. You can find current and past newsletters in the Pathways Program newsletter archive

Book Group

Many of our students participate in the student-organized book group, which meets virtually three times a semester. (Check the calendar for upcoming meeting dates.) We talk informally about the reading and related topics. Book selections are nominated and selected by our students. Information about upcoming book groups can be found in the newsletter.

So far, the book group has read John Carryrou’s Bad Blood, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer, Tommy Orange’s There There, and Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy.

Previous events

Our weekly events cover a range of interests and experiences. Check out a couple of our recent events here:

National Museum of African American History & Culture

In April of 2023, we took a dozen students to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The day was filled with incredible exhibits, enlightening discussions and an opportunity for students to experience history and culture in a new way. Below, a few of our students shared the experience in their own words:

Bob Pryor, Reynolds Community College student

This museum has always been on my DC “Bucket List” since it opened, and I’m so glad that I finally got to experience it with Pathways. It was incredibly immersive from the moment we got on the museum grounds. The story, culture, and history were really impactful and emotional. The collection of artifacts and exhibits were really impressive and presented an incredibly insightful narrative. Pathways students in Silver Diner

Thanks again for such a great experience, and for all the work that you and the Pathways team does to give us opportunities like this!

Cruz Walden, Virginia Commonwealth University student, Brightpoint Community College graduate

The museum was absolutely beautiful. The artifacts and narration told a heartbreaking, yet joyous story of how African Americans came to be, and celebrated their accomplishments while acknowledging the struggle they had to undergo. I loved everything I experienced and would absolutely go again, if only to look at everything I missed.

Hidden in Plain Site (HiPS)

HiPS is a VR exploration of distinct, but easy to overlook sites around Richmond, VA, that tells the story of the Black experience throughout history. Featuring actual examples from various angles and ages, these sites will be brought to impactful life through current appearance augmented with historical imagery. Our students explored the HiPS exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in the Fall of 2022. Along with HiPS’ founders, Dontrese Brown and Dean Browell, we were overwhelmed by the rich history of Richmond and made connections between the past and future.