Adam McReynolds ’24 has lived many lives — 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’ connection to Bridgeport runs deep. “I’m originally from Bridgeport, born and raised,” he says. “I didn’t have a wealthy family and moved around a lot, including struggling in and out of shelters.” 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. “It was a pretty life-changing event for a lot of people, and I wanted to defend our country,” 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. “I wanted to give back to veterans like myself,” he says. He enrolled at Southern Connecticut State University, earning his bachelor’s in social work in 2016, followed by a master’s in social work from Fordham University in 2018. His work as a social worker at the VA hospital proved deeply meaningful. “Through that process, I’ve been able to work with a lot of veterans,” he says. “It was gratifying to serve in a different capacity.”
As his clinical career grew, so did his vision. To build something of his own, McReynolds turned to University of Bridgeport 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. “Classes like epidemiology, accounting, and even Excel were incredibly important,” he notes, emphasizing how the degree complemented his clinical training with practical business acumen.
One professor in particular left a lasting impression. “Dr. Gew-Rae Kim — hands down — was life changing,” McReynolds says. “I knew the wealth of knowledge he had. I really took it seriously, and I absolutely loved being in his class.”
Beyond academics, UB felt like a return to his roots. “For me, it was home — right next to Seaside Park,” he says. Today, the connection to UB is generational: his daughter, Akira, is a Biology major at UB. “It’s kind of a family thing,” he adds with pride.
When asked what has mattered most in his success, McReynolds pointed to resilience forged early in life. “Other than the military itself, the stress and complexity of growing up low income and struggling gave me one of my biggest strengths,” he reflects. “I had to navigate in all these different spaces.”
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. “In the military, I lived in Japan, the Middle East, Texas, Virginia — I lived all over and traveled literally all over the world,” he says. That global exposure helped shape his next dream. “That is why I moved to Hawaii. I feel like I’ve seen it all, and for me Hawaii has it all.”
Looking back on his UB experience, McReynolds offers a note of advice. “I did a hybrid degree as an older student and a parent with a full-time career,” he says. “If you’re on campus, take advantage of the campus opportunities. That’s something I wish I could have done.” His guidance for today’s UB students is rooted in lived experience and hard-earned wisdom: “Retirement shouldn’t be based on age. It should be based on a mindset — to live out your dreams while you’re working. Why wait until 65? Why not live your dream now?”
From Bridgeport to Iraq, classrooms to clinics, Adam McReynolds’ journey is a testament to the power of education, service, and purpose — values that have defined University of Bridgeport’s mission and community for almost 100 years.
University of Bridgeport is approaching its 100th year, and stories like Adam’s are exactly what that century looks like. Learn more about UB’s Centennial celebration.
Eric D. Lehman is the author or editor of 22 books, including “New England Nature, A History of Connecticut Food,” and “Bridgeport: Tales from the Park City.” His biography of Charles Stratton, “Becoming Tom Thumb,” won the Henry Russell Hitchcock Award from the Victorian Society of America and was chosen as one of the American Library Association’s outstanding university press books of the year. His novella “Shadows of Paris” and novel “9 Lupine Road” 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.