Class of 2025: Cadet Graham Hudson thrives on challenges, learning from those around him

Name: Graham Hudson

College: College of Science

Major: Polymer chemistry  

Hometown: Blacksburg

Plans after graduation: Field artillery officer in the Virginia Army National Guard while pursuing a career in the polymer industry

Favorite Hokie memory: “I grew up here in Blacksburg. I love the area, Virginia Tech, and the sports teams. I've been hooked my whole life. But getting to actually go to school here was incredible. One of my favorite memories early on was the first time I got to go into Lane Stadium as a cadet. That first football game was truly amazing because we smashed UNC and we weren't supposed to. The corps rushed the field. I’ll always remember that first game as a cadet.”

Despite growing up in Blacksburg, Hudson didn’t know what to expect when he started his student journey as a member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.

"I got a pretty big shock right at the start. The first few weeks were a struggle for me, like they are for everybody,” said Hudon. “But as you start to form those bonds with your training company and your buds, things get better. I realized that I wasn’t in this alone. I had these new brothers and sisters that are going to be my friends for my entire life, and I really had a great experience. By the end of freshman year, I had a lot more confidence in myself.”

That confidence translated to an eagerness to serve and lead. As the 1st Battalion commander in charge of about 300 cadets in the fall semester, Hudson got a clear understanding of operational leadership and planning while mentoring senior cadet leaders under him. But it was his earlier leadership positions that carried the biggest lessons for him.

“My first application of leadership was as a fire team leader in charge of just a few first-year cadets. It’s challenging to learn how to hold peers accountable. My favorite leadership position was as the first sergeant for Bravo Company. I learned how to build a team. Figuring out how to leverage individual cadet strengths to create a family was my favorite part of that position,” said Hudson.

The value of a Virginia Tech degree

For some, a college degree demonstrates a dedication to academic proficiency and an ability to perform at a higher level. But for Hudson, a degree from Virginia Tech is all about serving others.

“The benefit of a Virginia Tech degree is the name associated with being a Hokie.  Not only are Hokies everywhere, but everybody knows about the culture of Virginia Tech, the Ut Prosim mentality, what the university stands for and the kind of people that it produces. When someone reads about a person from Virginia Tech, they know that person is about service. They're about teamwork. They're about community and they have values.” 

Seeking to serve and the meaning of Ut Prosim

“Hokies know Ut Prosim means That I May Serve, but for me, there’s a distinct parenthesis in there that explains “that I may serve (others),” said Hudson. “In the corps, we're truly about the motto and to me serving others is investing myself in those around me and in my community. It means giving of myself, my time and energy, and sacrificing so that I can better the community that raised me.”  

An alloy of chemistry and corps

Hudson’s major and his cadet experience combined to create a stronger, more inquisitive student, a true alloy who thrives on challenges and learning from everyone around him.

“I started out in a different major, but then realized I like to understand the way things work at their most basic level. Chemistry is that fundamental level and learning about the world from the molecular viewpoint is amazing. It's made me challenge myself. It’s made me develop my learning style and study habits and even how I seek knowledge,” said Hudson.

“The corps has developed my character in so many different ways through my leadership positions, but also through learning from my peers, from those above me and especially learning from my subordinates,” said Hudson. “I think people tend to forget that you can learn from those you lead. In doing so, I realized I'm just one person. I don't have all the answers but being a leader is learning how to corral the best solution and the best ideas from your people.

Elements of influence

While his major and his time in the corps formed Hudson as a leader, it was faculty leaders in those programs that guided his experience.

“Col. [Craig] Alia has been my leadership mentor and coach for the last couple of years and he's made a tremendous impact on me. He’s challenged me to choose the harder right over the easy wrong and I’m grateful for his mentorship,” said Hudson.

“Within my major, I could pick a whole plethora of professors that have been impactful, but just this semester, Dr. [Adrian] Figg in my polymer lab has been amazing. He challenges me not only to know what I need to know, but pushes me to learn in my own way and to truly build my techniques.”

A shining promise

Alia, the corps’ vice commandant of cadets and deputy commandant for 1st Battalion, finds reassurance in Hudson. 

“I think it’s natural to wonder how future generations will shape the world, and then you meet somebody like Graham and realize our country is in good hands. He’s a leader of character, a person of immense capability, and simply one of the best people I know. He’s going to be successful in whatever he does.”