Student Affairs honors recipients at April Aspire! Award Celebration

Five students and one staff member were honored at the recent Aspire! Award celebration, held April 26 at The Inn at Virginia Tech. Student Affairs developed an initiative to acknowledge the continuous, intentional service of Hokies within their communities. 

Established in 2011, the Aspirations for Student Learning further Student Affair’s culture of lifelong learning by encouraging community members to embody the five Aspirations through interpersonal awareness, intentional actions, and self-reflection.

The recipients

Zack Feldman, Commit to Unwavering Curiosity

Feldman often asks questions of heartfelt concern and passion for the student experience, striving to learn more about processes that can be improved. Through his student leadership role as vice president of health and safety for the Interfraternity Council of Virginia Tech, ensuring teamwork between the town and fraternities.

He has:

• Helped organize the annual Adopt-a-Cop program that connects fraternities and a chapter-specific officer from the Blacksburg Police Department
• Ensured that Interfraternity Council received health and safety training such as NARCAN Revive! training and alcohol safety digital training
• Assisted his community after a fire in an apartment complex, sharing information with university officials and connecting students with resources. Because of his leadership, other students joined in helping the Blacksburg Fire Department with hauling fire hoses or offering hydration to those affected.

Feldman was a senior majoring in building construction in the College of Engineering.

Feldman leads his work with questions such as, “How can I help?” or, “Who do I need to form strategic relationships with so that student voices can be heard?” Because of his curiosity, he has formed excellent relationships with the Blacksburg Police Department and university administrators. 

Joseph D’Agostino, Pursue Self-Understanding and Integrity

D’Agostino has been part of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and the Navy ROTC since the beginning of his college career in 2021. His leadership has been described as astute and compassionate, always demonstrating a desire to learn about himself and others.

He has:

• Served as a work center supervisor, training petty officer, and assistant department head for the ROTC. Additionally, he has worked as fire team leader, squad leader, and cadre for the Corps of Cadets.

• Sought opportunities to learn about inclusion and belonging efforts on campus, helping organize speakers and discussions for his battalion

• Fostered an environment of empowerment and acceptance within the Corps of Cadets

D’Agostino was a junior majoring in industrial and systems engineering in the College of Engineering. 

“It’s important to question yourself to a high degree to understand why you make certain decisions. It’s also important to understand why you feel comfortable making those decisions, and how they align with your moral compass,” said D’Agostino.

He emphasizes to others the importance of being honest with yourself, taking note of your strengths and weaknesses, and learning when to apply them.

Judith Obregón, Prepare for a Life of Courageous Leadership

In 2020, Obregón established Bright Light STEM, an organization that provides mentoring programs for underprivileged children in Peru and the Wayuu Indigenous Nation in Colombia. The initiative had over 60 teacher volunteers and empowered over 800 children, many of whom were inspired to pursue STEM fields.

She has:

• Collaborated with Wayuu Nation leaders on the Peace Project, aimed at unifying the community through consensus, addressing critical environmental issues while respecting the cultural significance of Indigenous land

• Worked with Wayuu Nation leaders on reforestation, water purification, and wildlife protection

• Communicated struggles of Indigenous students to academic leadership while studying in Spain. The business school in Spain then provided 75,000 euros in scholarships to Peruvian and Wayuu students

Obregón was a senior majoring in entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology at Pamplin College of Business.

“I am propelled by a vision of a just world,” said Obregón. “A place where equality reigns, our precious environment is revered and restored, and every individual’s dignity is upheld without compromise,"

Ellie Thurneysen, Embrace Ut Prosim as a Way of Life

Thurneysen, also member of the Corps of Cadets, is known for being a committed leader and community member, regularly volunteering her free time to support corps events, going above and beyond to contribute to events’ success. She has been described by her nominator as “a constant presence in her living-learning community” and local community.

She has: 

• Served as the corps’ regimental operations officer for the fall 2023 semester, planning major events for the entire brigade, including cadre week, new cadet week, football games, Caldwell March, and recruiting events

• Worked as a company commander, where she serves as a student leader and mentor to fellow cadets

• Volunteered and participated in numerous community events, such as Veteran’s Day events, food drives and blanket drives

Thurneysen was a senior majoring in business information technology in the Pamplin College of Business.

“To me, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), means how can I make others’ lives better day to day. As a way of life, it involves doing what I can in the moment to improve a current situation or the lives of those around me. It involves sacrifice, but this sacrifice is outweighed by the satisfaction of improvement,” Thurneysen said.

Kristal Hines-Pressley, Practice Civility

Hines-Pressley has embodied civility through her work as a student leader in Residential Well-being for over two years. Her gift for mediation has created safe spaces allowing students to express themselves and resolve conflicts. 

She has:

• Extended her skills to other students in an on-call capacity, assisting fellow student leaders in conflict resolution and showing respect to all parties involved

• Served as the vice president and secretary of the NAACP at Virginia Tech and is currently the president for Black Students in STEM and president and choreographer of the Exodus Dance Club at Virginia Tech

• Taught student leaders and staff about simple meditation practices and authenticity within conflict

Hines-Pressley was a senior majoring in biochemistry and biological sciences in the College of Science.

“Treating others how you want to be treated is a great way to show respect. An additional layer is promoting honesty and understanding,” Hines-Pressley said.

Ted Faulkner, Embrace Ut Prosim as a Way of Life Alumni Award

Faulkner served the Virginia Tech community and Student Affairs for over 25 years before his retirement. Whether it was personally correcting an unsatisfying order or stepping in during crisis to take the burden off someone so they could enjoy time with family, his service to others extends to both students and his Dining Services team.

He has:

• Led a progressive, innovative, large, and complex dining service operation

• Provided vision, strategic direction for operations, budget development, and personnel functions for 10 dining venues, and a processing center, with millions of dining experiences provided yearly

• Worked with over 31,000 dining team members during his time, ensuring staff had what they needed to grow professionally

“Ted has an ethic of care that is unparalleled. He is emboldened to create positive change for our students. It is the way Ted cares for people and the way he starts from the ground up when building a plan that is embedded in all he has created during his time at Virginia Tech,” said Heather Wagoner, director of Student Engagement and Campus Life.