Reynolds Homestead's Young Women Trailblazers

About a dozen teen girls from Patrick and Henry counties as well as Martinsville recently spent a week learning professional skills that aren’t always taught in school. As part of the Reynolds Homestead’s Young Women Trailblazers program, the girls learned about writing resumes, developing elevator pitches, researching careers, and building interview skills. They also toured Primland resort, the Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab at the Virginia Tech Roanoke Center, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and Virginia Tech’s campus in Blacksburg. They also attended sessions on business etiquette, proper business attire, and writing business emails, said Melanie Gilbert, assistant manager for community engagement, who led the program.

Aaliyah Reynolds, a rising sophomore at Patrick County High School, said, “I’m really looking forward to going to college and being in the medical field. Being at the med school as students walk around and being able to learn from them is exciting.”