Apply to be a delegate at the ACC Student Leadership Symposium
When you think of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), warm intercollegiate cooperation may not be your first thought.
But each spring, one member institution uses revenue generated from the intense rivalry of the ACC football championship game to host students from schools across the conference to develop their leadership capacity together.
On Feb. 6-8, 2026, Virginia Tech will host the ACC Student Leadership Symposium. VT Engage, the Center for Leadership and Service Learning, is accepting student delegate applications until Sept. 12 for this rare opportunity to be a delegate at the host school.
“The conference is organized around issues of change that students want to make happen either in their communities or at their schools,” said Tony Trimpe, assistant director for civic leadership with VT Engage. Trimpe advised leadership delegations to the symposia at Florida State University in 2025 and the University of Virginia in 2024 and is advising student leaders for next year's conference.
Positive change amid uncertainty
Virginia Tech applies the social change model of leadership development that the symposium uses both in a general education pathway and in the Leadership and Social Change Residential College.
The symposium emphasizes interactive learning though workshops, service activities, expert guest speakers, and case studies that challenge cross-university teams to tackle real-world problems.
Following the symposium’s student-led principles, over the last spring and summer, Trimpe has listened to experiences of previous symposium participants to plan an impactful experience. Based on those discussions, the spring session will focus on the role of leadership for resilience during uncertainty, difficulty, and change.
Critical reflection, real-world applications
Undergraduates from all backgrounds and academic areas are encouraged to apply to provide breadth of leadership. The five selected students will attend preparation meetings, participate in the symposium, and have the opportunity to present their experiences to university administrators and gather to reflect on the experience to inform future symposia.
In planning sessions, delegates reflected on how their experiences were both challenging and rewarding.
“It was interesting to look at real-world case studies in groups,” said Opal Cohen, a 2024 delegate and a student conference coordinator for the 2026 symposium, “to see how student leaders from different universities handle it and where they take it.”
Student leaders often take case studies toward critical reflections on current topics in higher education.
“There are hard but needed conversations to have that implicate every ACC school,” said 2024 delegate Tristan Reeves.
Building friendships, learning from rivalries
Delegates said because the symposia tend to reflect the governance structures and cultures of host schools, Hokie strengths will help guide the upcoming experience for participants.
Lilly Rosier, a 2024 delegate, said the culture of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) and the community support inherent in Hokie Nation will be an asset when considering the theme of resilience. “As leaders, this is our responsibility to help initiate. Students have to protect one another.”
Adyan Atiq '24 said mutual support was a strength for the Virginia Tech team when he attended the 2024 symposium. “We were the most cohesive team there. Even outside the symposium hours itself, we were always there for each other, always pushing each other and holding each other up.”
Atiq said the friendly competition within the ACC added to the experience. “Some of the best conversations I had were with our archrivals. I learned so much from them, and I'm sure it was mutual.”
Undergraduates of all years and majors can apply to be a delegate on the VT Engage website.
