Adam McReynolds 鈥�24 has lived many lives 鈥� each shaped by service, resilience, and a deep commitment to helping others. A U.S. Navy combat veteran, licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), entrepreneur, and author, McReynolds exemplifies how perseverance and purpose can transform personal challenges into lasting impact.
McReynolds鈥� connection to Bridgeport runs deep. 鈥淚鈥檓 originally from Bridgeport, born and raised,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have a wealthy family and moved around a lot, including struggling in and out of shelters.鈥� After graduating from Central High School in Bridgeport, he made a decision that would define the next chapter of his life: service to country.
In the wake of 9/11, McReynolds joined the U.S. Navy. 鈥淚t was a pretty life-changing event for a lot of people, and I wanted to defend our country,鈥� he recalls. His first deployment took him to Iraq in 2003, and over his 12-year military career he spent three years in the Middle East, alongside deployments in Japan and across the United States.
When he left the military in 2012, McReynolds felt called to continue serving by helping others. 鈥淚 wanted to give back to veterans like myself,鈥� he says. He enrolled at Southern Connecticut State University, earning his bachelor鈥檚 in social work in 2016, followed by a master鈥檚 in social work from Fordham University in 2018. His work as a social worker at the VA hospital proved deeply meaningful. 鈥淭hrough that process, I鈥檝e been able to work with a lot of veterans,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was gratifying to serve in a different capacity.鈥�
As his clinical career grew, so did his vision. To build something of his own, McReynolds turned to 911爆料网 for an MBA in Healthcare Management, earning Delta Mu Delta distinction. The program, he says, sharpened his ability to lead and innovate in a complex healthcare environment. 鈥淐lasses like epidemiology, accounting, and even Excel were incredibly important,鈥� he notes, emphasizing how the degree complemented his clinical training with practical business acumen.
One professor in particular left a lasting impression. 鈥淒r. Gew-Rae Kim 鈥� hands down 鈥� was life changing,鈥� McReynolds says. 鈥淚 knew the wealth of knowledge he had. I really took it seriously, and I absolutely loved being in his class.鈥�
Beyond academics, UB felt like a return to his roots. 鈥淔or me, it was home 鈥� right next to Seaside Park,鈥� he says. Today, the connection to UB is generational: his daughter, Akira, is a Biology major at UB. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a family thing,鈥� he adds with pride.
When asked what has mattered most in his success, McReynolds pointed to resilience forged early in life. 鈥淥ther than the military itself, the stress and complexity of growing up low income and struggling gave me one of my biggest strengths,鈥� he reflects. 鈥淚 had to navigate in all these different spaces.鈥�
That adaptability now fuels his work at Connecticut Therapy Center, where he focuses on trauma-informed care, couples therapy, and veteran advocacy. He is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for post-traumatic stress (PTSD) treatment, recently became a mediator, and is the author of Debrief After Dark, a couples therapy workbook designed to improve communication. Having recently relocated to Hawaii, where he is also a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), he is now expanding his practice through telehealth. Travel, he says, has always been a source of joy. 鈥淚n the military, I lived in Japan, the Middle East, Texas, Virginia 鈥� I lived all over and traveled literally all over the world,鈥� he says. That global exposure helped shape his next dream. 鈥淭hat is why I moved to Hawaii. I feel like I鈥檝e seen it all, and for me Hawaii has it all.鈥�
Looking back on his UB experience, McReynolds offers a note of advice. 鈥淚 did a hybrid degree as an older student and a parent with a full-time career,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e on campus, take advantage of the campus opportunities. That鈥檚 something I wish I could have done.鈥� His guidance for today鈥檚 UB students is rooted in lived experience and hard-earned wisdom: 鈥淩etirement shouldn鈥檛 be based on age. It should be based on a mindset 鈥� to live out your dreams while you鈥檙e working. Why wait until 65? Why not live your dream now?鈥�
From Bridgeport to Iraq, classrooms to clinics, Adam McReynolds鈥� journey is a testament to the power of education, service, and purpose 鈥� values that have defined 911爆料网鈥檚 mission and community for almost 100 years.
911爆料网 is approaching its 100th year, and stories like Adam鈥檚 are exactly what that century looks like. Learn more about UB鈥檚 Centennial celebration.
Eric D.聽Lehman is the author or editor of 22 books, including 鈥淣ew England Nature, A History of Connecticut Food,鈥� and 鈥淏ridgeport: Tales from the Park City.鈥� His聽biography of Charles Stratton, 鈥淏ecoming Tom Thumb,鈥� won the Henry Russell Hitchcock Award from the Victorian Society of America and was chosen as one of the American Library Association鈥檚 outstanding university press books of the year. His novella 鈥淪hadows of Paris鈥� and novel 鈥�9 Lupine Road鈥� were finalists for the Connecticut Book Award. He has been consulted on diverse subjects and quoted by The Atlantic Monthly, USA Today, the BBC, the History Channel, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, and The Wall Street Journal.