Virginia Tech '18 alumnus Joshua Owens says he owes much to author J.K. Rowling. A biological sciences graduate, Owens credits the Harry Potter series for helping him bridge to the next reading level the summer after 7th grade.
“I always had to work a little bit harder than others,” says Owens, admitting he struggled in reading from an early age. “It gave me the edge to challenge myself.” With immense gratitude, he cites it as one of his “blessings.”
This "working just a little bit harder" mindset has stayed with him well past middle school. In fact, he proved teachers wrong when he earned success in both his honors and advanced placement classes.
Fast forward to Virginia Tech, and his undergraduate years were nothing shy of putting this mindset in action. When looking at peer universities, it was Virginia Tech’s reputation and the Summer Academy program that sold him to attend. “It gave me the confidence I needed to pursue the areas of biology and science that I love.” He was offered early admission to both James Madison and George Mason Universities.
It was also during the six weeks of Summer Academy classes and getting acclimated to campus where some of his "invaluable" connections were made. His friends today, and even former roommates, are the ones he met in Summer Academy. He attributes his roommate’s desire to pursue medical school as a strong influencer. “That drive pushed me and inspired not only me but others.”
Owens spent the summer in Blacksburg after graduating in May serving as a nursing assistant at Virginia Tech’s Adult Day Services and working in the field of memory research with Rachel Diana, assistant professor of psychology. After three years of pursuing the medical school path, Owens said he had an epiphany in his clinical neuropsychology class. It was there that he found his lifelong passion.
“Joshua has a true passion for understanding brain-behavior interactions which made him such a wonderful student to whom to teach.”
-- Kelly Harrison, instructor of psychology.
“He is just one of those students that showed up every class with a wonderful smile and a passion for learning. You wish you could have him in every class you teach. He will certainly accomplish whatever he sets out to do.”
And Harrison’s words could not be more true, as Owens just learned that he has been accepted into the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Florida, with the goal of becoming a clinical neuropsychologist. He will begin his studies later this fall at the completion of his au pair experience in Germany.
The neuropsychology classes had such a transformative experience on Owens that he is looking to apply his passion to working with the geriatric population in a professional setting.
Juxtaposing this world, during his undergraduate years, he worked with school-age area children for several years through the College Mentors for Kids program, and more recently, as a mentor for two local children who lost their father at a young age.
In the spirit of Ut Prosim, these interactions led Owens to form a non-profit group called Quality Time to serve the Blacksburg and surrounding communities. Owens describes it as a cross between College Mentors for Kids and Big Brothers Big Sisters, as children are paired with college-aged mentors who can provide a stable, friendly presence.
Owens says that Summer Academy certainly set his academic career in motion, but also connected him with a network of peers, many of whom with similar academic focus, to help fulfill the dream of creating a non-profit. As a team, Owens and his peers formed a constitution, executive board, and a training program to help close to 20 mentors hit the ground running. “They all pushed me to be a better person consistently,” says Owens. “I wanted to give back and help others give back to the world.”
Reflecting on being an alumnus and working towards the next chapter in his life, Owens says it is the people he misses the most. “Virginia Tech will always be home. A big part of the person I am today is because of this amazing university.”