This year’s Beyond Boundaries Scholars are building a powerful legacy
When it comes to boundaries, they don’t just push them, they break them. The accomplishments of recent Beyond Boundaries Scholars show what it means to step outside the box, seize opportunity, and live by 'Ut Prosim' (That I May Serve).
BBS Photo from Letter Writing Event Set. 2023
Beyond Boundaries Scholars are building a legacy of success, overcoming obstacles, and proving that we are all greater than the boundaries that confine us.
Their accomplishments show what it means to step outside the box, seize opportunity, and live by Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).
The scholarship program, created in 2016, supports high-achieving students by matching gifts made toward certain scholarships.
“It helps you break through barriers that are put in your life,” said Johann Chacon, a sophomore in the College of Engineering. “Sometimes barriers are put in your life and you can’t do anything about them, and sometimes you get opportunities to surpass them and achieve something great.”
Since its inception, the Beyond Boundaries Scholars program has continued to grow. The program passed a major milestone in 2018 when donor support for the initiative exceeded $1 million — a goal reached every year since.
Ted King Jr., a 1972 graduate from the College of Science, is a Beyond Boundaries Scholars donor who has a deep connection to the program. As a student, King received financial assistance for his college education, something he said shaped the rest of his life.
Now he gives back to Beyond Boundaries to make sure other students have the same opportunities he did. That’s a legacy that will continue for generations.
Jordyn Moffatt, who graduated in May, credits her scholarship donor with changing her life and unlocking new opportunities. Her goal after graduation is to be like them.
“My donor is giving in their mother’s legacy and one of my goals is to do what they did and give back after graduating,” she said. “Learning from them is so amazing. That’s my goal now: being a Hokie and keeping that alive.”
So far, nearly 637 Beyond Boundaries Scholars have attended Virginia Tech.
“The program focuses on the barriers on the financial side by allowing students who have been offered admission an opportunity to actually be here, make it a reality,” said Juan Espinoza ’04, associate vice provost for enrollment management and director of undergraduate admissions. “Just imagine what these students are going to do in the future and the impact they’re going to have because of the intervention of the university and these donors.”
Learn more about the Beyond Boundaries Scholars program online.
