The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors will welcome two new student representatives on July 1. Leslie Orellana and William Poland will serve as undergraduate and graduate student representatives, respectively. Both will serve one-year terms, liaising between the student body and the board.

Meet the new undergraduate representative

Orellana is a senior majoring in real estate in the Pamplin College of Business and building construction in the College of Engineering. She recognizes the diverse needs and concerns of undergraduate students from varied backgrounds and in different colleges at Virginia Tech.

“As a student of the two largest colleges on campus, the College of Engineering and the [Pamplin] College of Business, I have been able to understand how there are different needs for every student,” she said. “I hope to amplify the voices of the undergraduate students and represent them accurately to share their successes and hardships to create innovative solutions that advance Virginia Tech and improve each student’s experience.”

Orellana is passionate about transforming communities and knows that her intended career as a real estate developer will impact where people live, work, and grow. With that comes a responsibility to create welcoming and inclusive spaces with consideration for different needs to best serve the community.

Orellana understands how daunting college can be. As a first-generation college student, she felt overwhelmed in her early days at Virginia Tech. Finding organizations on campus that spoke to her helped her find her place in the Hokie community. Hokie Ambassadors drew her in, and she now serves as the organization’s president.  She also served as president of Virginia Tech’s real estate club in 2022-23, in addition to mentoring Pamplin students.

“I am honored to serve in this role and create the same environment that was first introduced to me. As president, I learned how to be a leader and communicate effectively as a liaison between the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the student volunteers to ensure that everyone is supported and heard. And I learned the importance of being impartial and transparent.”

Noting creative problem-solving as one of her strengths, Orellana said she is committed to conveying students' perspectives and to ensuring that students are accurately represented.

Meet the graduate and professional student representative

Poland, a master’s degree student in electrical engineering in the College of Engineering, has been named the graduate and professional student representative. As a Blacksburg native, Poland said he has a deep connection to the university and will cherish this opportunity to give back. With experience as both an undergraduate and a graduate student at Virginia Tech, he fundamentally understands the complex challenges both populations face – and shares firsthand knowledge of the differences and commonalities between the two. His insight into both groups – and the complex transition from undergraduate to graduate school – will be valuable as he moves into this role.

Poland believes his strengths will help him represent his constituents.

“Organization and integrity are critical as the board role is time-consuming and requires many commitments," Poland said. "Creativity is important to find new ways to get input and feedback from students. Patience is relevant because the university governance system is methodical and can be slow; change takes time and must be approached thoughtfully and through proper channels to achieve the desired outcome. Above all, I understand that the role of the board representative is to listen to students and amplify their voices.”

Already actively serving the university, Poland hosts tours for prospective Virginia Tech graduate students and mentors students at Residential College at West Ambler-Johnson. He has a history of advising and assisting students throughout his undergraduate and graduate years. Poland holds multiple awards and honors from the university as well.

Poland emphasizes the need for the graduate student representative to listen and will specifically focus on fully understanding the voice of his constituents before attempting to advocate on behalf of them. His mindset of listening and learning, his eagerness to collaborate and work within the governance system, and his love of Virginia Tech will undoubtedly serve him well in his service to the board.

About the board

The Board of Visitors is the governing authority of Virginia Tech and consists of public- and private-sector leaders, many of whom are alumni. Each year, the board selects one undergraduate student and one graduate/professional student to serve as representatives. Some of the board's responsibilities include appointing the president of the university, establishing fees, tuition, and other charges paid by students, and approving university policies, including those related to student life.  

The undergraduate and graduate student representatives serve as ex-officio members of the Commission of Student Affairs and sit on a committee of the governing board. These non-voting members maintain continual contact with university faculty, administrators, and Virginia Tech students.

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