Class of 2024: Joseph O'Such got hands-on with his education

Name: Joseph O’Such

College: Engineering

Majors: Computer science and mechanical engineering

Hometown: Ashburn, Virginia

Plans after graduation: Work as a solutions architect at Amazon Web Services in Arlington, Virginia

Favorite Hokie memory: Attending the first football game since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. O’Such, having started college during the outbreak, missed out on traditional Hokie experiences his freshman year. “Coming back as a sophomore that fall and seeing the game against UNC was incredible. Especially seeing us win against a top-25 school. I don't think football has gotten back to that peak yet, but it was a great memory,” he said. 

Hands-on Hokie

Hands-on experiences have transformed Joseph O’Such’s undergraduate career at Virginia Tech. From working on tunnel-boring machines as the lead hardware engineer with the student-led Diggeridoos team to getting a head-start on his career as a solutions architect intern at Amazon Web Services (AWS), O’Such gained a new perspective on computer science and engineering from experiences outside the classroom.

“Being involved in teams like the Didggeridoos gave me chances to go out and actually apply what I learned in class. A lot of times, it's more fun, like in the Didggeridoos, where we get to build things and make things with our hands versus sitting in a classroom and learning about structures. So just being able to go out and apply what you learn makes it a little lot more worthwhile,” he said.

Anything but boring

In 2021, O’Such, along with the Diggeridoos, attended the first-ever Not-a-Boring Competition in Austin, Texas. The competition consists of teams competing to dig a 30-meter hole with a tunnel-boring machine. With the help of crowdfunding, the organization was able to raise $50,000 to build their machine. In the years since, the Diggeridoos have raised more than $130,000 to fund their projects.

“We worked in a field for almost 12 hours a day, which sounds miserable, but it was a lot of fun,” he said. “It was just so wild and unique. That's why I joined the team in the first place, and being able to go to a competition like that was super cool.”

This year, the Diggeridoos placed first in North America and second in the world at the Not-a-Boring Competition. The team, composed of students from various disciplines, has members who serve in various capacities.

“Clubs have been a big part of my fun, and half of the friends I’ve made at Tech have been through them," O'Such said. "Clubs are something outside of the classroom that really brings things to life.”

O’Such joined the Human Powered Submarine Team during his first year at Virginia Tech. The team, which competes every two years at the International Submarine Races, builds a submarine powered by a person on a bicycle. As a general hardware engineer, O’Such is responsible for operating on structural components inside the submarine. However, in the last year, he’s incorporated his computer science background into his work with the team. 

Alongside Luke Hylton, the electronics lead engineer and computer engineering major, the pair rebuilt the team’s website. It was O’Such’s first time building a public website, which he describes as a rite of passage for computer science majors.

From classroom to workplace

Recently, O’Such was awarded the Phi Kappa Phi Medallion Award, which is given to one student in each college per academic year and recognizes outstanding academic achievement. Diggeridoos’ faculty advisor Matt Nowinski spoke on O’Such’s behalf at the Phi Kappa Phi award ceremony. 

“Joe is easy-going, unassuming, and self-deprecating. These are the students that always capture my attention as a teacher,” Nowinski said. “The clearest evidence of his intelligence, leadership, and passion is in watching how his fellow Diggeridoo team members follow and respect him.” 

Outside of the classroom and clubs, O’Such makes time for other hobbies, like playing frisbee and soccer. He’s also a member of the College of Engineering’s volleyball league. 

O’Such said that some of his best college experiences have come from doing things on a whim and seeing where it takes him. That’s his best advice for incoming students. 

“If you think a club looks interesting, just join it. If you don’t like it, you can leave, but who knows? It might be something worthwhile that you pursue your whole time at Tech,” O’Such said. 

After graduating in May, O’Such will begin his career as a solutions architect at Amazon Web Services, a position he applied for following an internship with the company. 

“Above all else, I’m excited to learn,” he said. “I’m looking forward to this next chapter as a period of growth and learning in the real-world of the workplace.”

Written by Tayler Butters, a senior majoring in English in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences