Reynolds Recognized Doors of Opportunity – and Walked Through Them

A cybersecurity professional and active duty Army veteran, Prince Reynolds turned to St. Louis Community College to refresh and expand his IT skills.

As a student at STLCC-Forest Park, Reynolds focused his energy on acquiring the critical knowledge needed to improve his career as a cybersecurity network engineer. These skills, combined with his military experience and educational background, have put him on a path to career success.

When Reynolds enrolled at STLCC, he did so having already earned an associate degree in computer systems and networking technology and a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and network technology from another college.

He chose STLCC because the College offered the curriculum he wanted at a reasonable cost. He was also attracted to STLCC because of the reputation of the faculty and the quality of the computer labs.

“The most valuable thing I gained as a student at STLCC was industry insight from experienced instructors,” he said. “A very close second benefit was the ability to work hands-on with industry equipment. Although this benefit may seem small to some, it’s not when you consider the cost of acquiring, housing, configuring and maintaining everything that’s required to run a physical network.”

Today, Reynolds is employed by the U.S. Department of Defense. He’s also working with his wife to launch a private IT consulting company.

“Recently, I worked as a development, security and operations platform manager during the day and as a contract network engineer in the evening,” he said. “Having two full-time jobs at the same time was incredibly challenging, but the experience I gained and the things I learned made the experience worth it.”

According to Reynolds, his career trajectory has been greatly influenced by his commitment to hard work and his ability to recognize and seize opportunities.

“I served 12 years active-duty Army. I left the military for six years and then returned for one last tour as an Army sergeant,” he said. “With my background, the places I’ve been and the things I’ve experienced, I’ve learned that success does not come easy and it does not happen for everyone. If you have the chance to go to school – or back to school – then go, but understand that what you learn in school is how to recognize certain doors of opportunity and how to walk through to the other side. It’s then up to the individual to do the actual walking. It’s also up to the individual to use the foundational tools and skills they gain to develop new tools and skills so they can improve their situation.”

William Hocker, assistant professor and IT department coordinator, described Reynolds as an outstanding student and a talented individual.

“Over the years, Prince took several of my classes, both at STLCC and at my former institution,” he said. “He was an exceptional student in the classroom, always striving to do his best. The success he has achieved in his career would not have been possible without hard work and his commitment to learning and growing as an IT professional.”

When he isn’t busy with work, Reynolds enjoys cooking, playing chess, reading and writing. He also makes time for self-reflection.

“Self-reflection is an essential skill for personal and professional growth,” he said. “I often think about who I am, where I’ve come from, and how I can make the world a little better than it is.”