Recently, brothers J.T. and Shea Davis crossed the graduation stage at Reynolds Community College, celebrating academic milestones that once seemed out of reach after a near-fatal car crash less than a year ago.

The achievement marked a shared triumph of resilience and resolve for the two siblings—one a college freshman, the other a high school senior—who leaned on family, faith and each other to keep their academic dreams alive.

In November 2023, J.T. was home from Old Dominion University for Thanksgiving break. He was a freshman studying sports management while also taking online courses at Reynolds to earn an associate degree in business administration. Sixteen-year-old Shea was enrolled at Highland Springs High School’s Center for Engineering and concurrently taking college classes at Reynolds.

The two were driving home from a friend’s house when their car flipped on a rain-slicked stretch of Interstate 295. An off-duty firefighter and his fiancée were first on the scene. The firefighter gave J.T. life-saving aid, while his fiancée stayed with Shea, who was physically unharmed but emotionally shaken.

J.T. was rushed to VCU Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and spent time in the intensive care unit. He was forced to temporarily withdraw from school, but with support from his family and care team, he slowly returned to both Reynolds and ODU the following semester. The flexibility of the school’s online offerings helped him balance his coursework with a difficult physical recovery.

Shea, meanwhile, quietly carried the weight of survivor’s guilt. Instead of letting it derail him, he pushed harder. In his senior year, he maintained an academic load that earned him an advanced diploma, completed a general studies degree from Reynolds and earned his master barber license from the Hermitage ACE Center.

He did all of this while excelling in four varsity sports—volleyball, basketball, swimming and lacrosse—earning the title of Highland Springs High School’s best male athlete for 2024–2025.

Shea will head to North Carolina A&T State University this fall to pursue a career in architectural engineering.

Their mother, Stacie Davis, the dean of Reynolds’ School of Business and Industrial Trades, had the honor of watching both sons graduate together from her own institution.

Reflecting on their journey, J.T. offered advice shaped by hardship: “Just do it. Take the time you need, but don’t give up.”

Shea added, “Talk to someone. Keeping emotions bottled up isn’t healthy—whether it’s family, a professor or a friend, find someone to talk to.”