Class of 2024: Jillian Sasso turns a passion for history into a career path

Name: Jillian Sasso                               

College: Liberal Arts and Human Sciences     

Hometown: Culpeper, Virginia

Major: History and political science

Plans after graduation: Interning with the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies and preparing for a career in federal government

An unconventional path

The first time Sasso toured Virginia Tech, she knew she was home.

“I stepped on campus, and it was so big and beautiful, and there were so many things that I felt like I would do here,” Sasso said.

But when she enrolled as a mechanical engineering major in fall 2020, she never envisioned earning dual degrees and a top honor from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

Sasso is graduating as the college’s 2024 Outstanding Senior.

Pursuing a passion

Midway through her sophomore year, Sasso said she felt disconnected from her engineering classes. She wanted to do something that made her happy and decided to pursue history – a childhood passion.

“I had always loved it,” Sasso said. “I love Civil War history, and I felt like I could make a career out of it. I love going to battlefields and historic sites and exploring."

She decided to double major in political science and history because they "meshed really well." The decision inspired her to pursue a career in federal government.

“As I took more classes, I was like, ‘Oh this is really cool and makes sense,’” she said. “It was definitely a journey for me and kind of a weird process that wasn’t typical of what others were doing.”

The change in course shaped her Virginia Tech experiences in and out of the classroom. It led her to the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, based at Virginia Tech, where where she worked part-time as an outreach assistant and landed several summer internships.

In her role, Sasso helps coordinate events for the center, such as Civil War Weekend, a popular speaker series that offers modern perspectives on Civil War history, and a film series held at the Lyric Theatre.

The center also sponsored her 2023 historical and interpretation internship at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, the home of several major Civil War battlefields. While there, she directed and answered questions from the public.

"It's something that I've always liked to do, and now, working for the center, I've been able to spread that to other people," she said. 

One of her favorite parts of the job is participating in the center’s Traveling Trunk of Civil War History program, which allows her to share knowledge and Civil War replicas with local fourth graders.

"They can put it on if it's a uniform or they can touch it," she said. "It's super cool. We're actually able to talk to them about things like slavery and things that are difficult, and they understand it."

She was nominated for the Outstanding Senior award by Paul Quigley, associate professor of Civil War studies and director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies. The award is presented to one student in each college and recognizes excellent academic performance, leadership skills, co-curricular activities, and service contributions.

"Jillian Sasso exemplifies the Hokie spirit of Ut Prosim, working assiduously on her studies and attending to her own professional development while generously sharing her time and talents with others," Quigley said. "It’s rare for an undergraduate student to make such great contributions to Virginia Tech’s land grant mission with audiences of all ages — while excelling academically as well."

She also received the James and Martha Banks Award, which recognizes a history major who demonstrates academic excellence and a strong interest in American history. 

Memories made

Sasso has played clarinet in the Marching Virginians for the past four years, and she is the band’s service officer. In the role, she organizes service events such as canned food drives and community concerts. The role has taught her the signficance of living by Virginia Tech's Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) motto.

"It doesn't matter what I'm doing," she said. "If someone asks for help, I'm going to go and help them if they need it."

For her efforts in the Marching Virginians, Sasso earned the James R. Sochinski Spirit of Tech Award, which recognizes a four-year band member who demonstrates outstanding citizenship, excellence, and dedication. She also received the Stackin' Up the Service Ryan Clark Outstanding Service Award, which recognizes a Marching Virginian who embodies selfless service and commitment to others.

Once a season, the Marching Virginians switch show times with the Highty-Tighties, which is the Corps of Cadets regimental band, and perform pregame rather than during halftime. Her favorite memory as a Hokie is performing the Copland Colors, a patriotic anthem, in front of a roaring crowd.

“When the Corps of Cadets presents the colors of the United States of America, the crowd goes nuts,” she said. “It makes me tear up when I’m on the field and performing alongside them. You’re in the middle of a giant stadium, 66,000 people, and they’re all cheering for you. That’s hard to beat.”

She is also the education committee chair for the We Suck at Cooking club – a role she jokes about but is proud of. The group meets in the kitchen space in Wallace Hall to learn practical cooking skills.

“The name isn’t my design,” she said. “I really like to cook and bake, so I thought this would be a great thing to do. A lot of college kids can’t cook, so it’s been fun to teach them.”

Sasso has applied for a job with the U.S. government. In the meantime, she plans to continue interning with the Virginia Center of Civil War Studies. While she doesn't have a specific long-term career goal in mind, she said she hopes to be able to find something that fulfills her as a person while helping other people.

“When you come here, you don’t think that the four years will fly by, and then they do,” Sasso said of her time at Virginia Tech. “Especially coming here during COVID, things were completely different. Technically, I only got three years of a normal [student] experience, and I just wanted to make the most of it. And I think I have.”