Virginia Tech's SAA Blog!

  Dear New Members, First, congratulations on joining the 100 most spirited Hokies! You should all be immensely proud of yourselves and excited for the journey to come. As a graduating senior, I was in your shoes only three years ago. Looking back, my time in SAA has completely transformed my college experience for the better. I’ve had amazing opportunities to serve and interact with some of the best that Hokie Nation has to offer. Being in SAA has made me a better leader, a better friend, and a better Hokie. My advice to you as you join this organization is going to be “lean in”. You have the opportunity to just come in each semester, do your five sign ups, and show up to fulfill your requirements. Or, you can go to SAAcials. You can utilize your big/little relationships. You can join committees, do boothing, and go above and beyond. That way, when you reflect on your time in the organization, your heart will fill with joy for the person joining the organization that has given you...

  In honor of SAA Elections coming up, I thought I’d share a couple of lessons I’ve learned from being on exec this past year. The Power of Consistency As a marketing student, I learn about how having a consistent brand and online presence is incredibly important to the viability of your brand. I’m flattered when people recognize my work, but more so I think that what made the biggest difference was just my approach of consistency. This applies to my work and my attitude, and it shows! If you don’t consider yourself a consistent person, you should strive to do so because it goes a long way in whatever you do! Balance  When coming into my role, I strived for the utmost level of professionalism and seriousness. And as amazing as that was, exec isn’t a corporation- it’s a student organization, a learning opportunity, and a place to develop meaningful relationships. My exec board has brought out the fun in me that I didn’t even realize I had, especially at our CASE ASAP Conference...

 SAA recently had a young alumni panel for our members. Six recent alumni spoke to our members about careers, grad school, and life after college. It was informative and a lot of fun. Several of our members wrote about the panel and here you can read what they have to say! Grace Allan      The Alumni panel was a great opportunity to learn from people who have been in my shoes. I learned that making connections and networking yourself in college is great, however, taking the time to listen and appreciate the advice others have to offer and making genuine relationships is much more beneficial. Life after college is what you make of it. Some people choose to travel, others continue their education, and some people go straight into the workforce. It is important to remember to hike your own hike and not allow what other people are doing to bring you down. Overall, know that Virginia Tech is more than just buildings, it is a place where people support and elevate one anot...

Imagine this: it’s a nice breezy morning. The wind blows on your face and feels just right- not too hot, not too cold. Life is good. You walk to Hokie Grill and buy pasta from Pizza Hut to eat outside because the weather is kind today, whipping out your laptop to get some work done while soaking in the sun. You decide to explore campus for a little too, maybe even getting a drink from Deets. You explore spots of campus you’ve never seen before. This all makes a 180 degree turn the next day. You wake up refreshed (or not) and go outside in a short sleeved shirt and pants to be hit in the face by very cold winds. Wasn’t it warm the day before? Can someone please explain this? You planned your whole day out in the hopes that the weather would be warm again.  This is nothing new to those who have lived in Blacksburg for many years. The weather here shifts rapidly. One day it’ll be sunny and warm, the next cold and snowy. However, you can still enjoy your time on campus despite t...

            Let’s be real here, if you asked someone who is in Gen Z what their favorite Metallica song is most would probably respond “who?”. However, ask any Hokie which song is their favorite and I bet that 10 out of 10 will say “Enter Sandman”. I’m sure your wondering why a bunch of college kids in southwest Virginia would get so hype to a 1991 heavy metal song? The answer is plain and simple, once a Hokie hears the first riff of the electric guitar and the beat of the drum they know its gametime.             Growing up I had gone to a high school where there was little to no school spirit. I had also been a part of the marching band so I never got the full experience of spirit rallies or fan sections. So naturally, when applying to colleges one of the things I really wanted my school to have was a strong sense of school spirit. I had applied and toured tons of colleges but it was not until I...

I’ll be honest when I say that one of the main reasons, if not THE main reason I decided to attend Virginia Tech was the fact that it is ranked for happiest students. I have always been a product of my environment and I knew that I had to be around driven, happy, and healthy individuals to succeed in school. I could never in my wildest dreams have conceptualized the depths of the kindness I have been enveloped in throughout my two and a half years so far at Virginia Tech. As a school laced with tradition I can confidently say that its greatest tradition is kindness. I have felt supported by my peers, empowered by my professors, and felt apart of something bigger than myself every single day. I feel beyond blessed to be able to attend a university grounded in service and tradition. A university that has given me confidence, a support system, an opportunity to be myself, and many opportunities to be more than myself. The best part about the university and community giving me so much, is ...