Class of 2024: Claudine Luo finds her second family at Pamplin

“I hope that I made a difference, helped other students find their home, and that I left Virginia Tech better than I found it.”

That’s how Claudine Luo responded when asked how she wanted to be remembered as her time at Virginia Tech ended.

Considering how engaged Luo has been during her time on campus, it is evident that her impact will endure. 

Luo’s experience at Virginia Tech began in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During her first year, she had a single in-person class. However, the inauspicious start to her education did not deter her. From that point forward, she fully immersed herself in the collegiate experience. 

As a student, Luo maintained academic excellence in a dual degree program within Pamplin College of Business. As a chief operations officer, she spearheaded PRISM, Virginia Tech’s powerhouse, student-run, and faculty-led marketing agency. As a facilitator, she worked within Pamplin’s Dean Advisory Board of Students, where she coordinated events and helped bridge the gap between students and the deans. 

As a mentor, Luo was involved in ExperienceVT, where she further helped students find their home at Virginia Tech. As a relationship builder, she worked with the Student Alumni Association, helping students connect with alumni. 

Luo also served as a teaching assistant in the Pamplin Engage Undergraduate TA Program, assisting in four classes over the three years. She even helped students on a more personal level, as she served as a resident assistant in O'Shaughnessy Hall, home to the Leadership and Social Change Residential College. Lastly, she loved Hokies sports and recounted that her first football game and "Enter Sandman" experience, as well as the women’s basketball program, bolstered her adoration for the university.

She did not just provide value in the positions she held, Luo also gained invaluable experience from her education. As a double major, she attained soft skills and practicalities from her management major, while earning technical skills from her concentration in operations and supply chain management within her business information technology major. Proving her academic prowess, she achieved a 3.96 cumulative GPA during her time as a Pamplin student.

Luo’s time in PRISM enhanced those educational experiences, giving her a platform to gain hands-on, experiential learning, lead a strong, brilliant group of students, and travel across the country, networking with alumni from all walks of life. Through PRISM, she spearheaded the Metaverse development, connected with over 500 alumni, was inspired to help future students through her work, and was left better prepared for the future that lay ahead of her. 

“I am sad, yet grateful,” said Luo when she talked about her upcoming graduation. “I have been presented with so many opportunities, not only for my career but also to engage with the Virginia Tech community.”

Although time has flown by for her, she is grateful that she can call Virginia Tech home, and that she found her second family within Pamplin and PRISM.

Upon graduation in May, Luo will begin working full-time as a business analyst as part of the Analyst Development Program at Capital One.

Written by Matt Johnson