April Aspire! Awards celebrate service from exemplary Hokies
Student Affairs recently hosted the final Aspire! Awards ceremony of the academic year, focusing on those who embody Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) as a way of life.
Community members were honored for embodying the Aspirations for Student Learning and serving as leaders of campus culture.
At the ceremony, previous Ut Prosim Aspire! Award nominee Hunter Tufarelli received the McClelland Aspirations Scholarship for reshaping autism screening tools to empower neurodivergent young people to learn about neurodivergence and advocate for themselves.
Robbie Werth '78, MBA '81, received the Alumni Aspire! Award for continuing to embody Ut Prosim as a way of life in his professional and personal advocacy for those with disabilities. His ardent and lifelong support for accessibility includes ongoing generosity to improve services at Werth Testing Center.
Alan Dogan, Commit to Unwavering Curiosity
To Dogan, curiosity means “constantly asking ‘why’ and refusing to accept gaps in knowledge or practice as fixed,” said a nominator. Dogan is a medical student at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.
As a clinician, he consistently explores new ways to improve patient care. His nominator wrote, “Alan exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking, interdisciplinary approach that represents the future of medicine.”
Dogan’s work with HyperTech, an entrepreneurial idea incubator that he co-founded within the medical school, gives medical and graduate students a space to identify patient needs and challenges. One of Dogan’s proudest accomplishments is turning a 3D prototype into a full medical device that is now being used in a clinical trial.
Dogan was recognized for harnessing empathy and innovation to transform medical patient experiences.
Alexandria Lilly, Practice Civility
Lilly knows the power of language and uses it with intentionality across her roles as a student, writer, and tutor. Lilly is a senior majoring in environmental science and minoring in displacement studies and wetlands science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Lilly serves as a tutor for Elimisha Kakuma, a college-prep program based in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. She works with students to help them with their classes and preparation as they apply to universities.
Lilly said, “My experience in serving internationally has allowed me to find purpose in building friendship and a sense of community for others, where I hope to make people feel they belong and have a voice in this world.”
Lilly was recognized for using empathy and compassion to build bridges across continents.
Emma Roshioru, Prepare for Life of Courageous Leadership
Roshioru's commitment to leadership is ever-present and far-reaching. Her service shapes policy related to academic affairs, student belonging, fiscal priorities, and accessibility. Roshioru is a senior double-majoring in public relations and political science and minoring in disability studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
Roshioru is the president of the Undergraduate Student Senate, where “students feel seen, heard, and represented because Emma approaches leadership as an act of service rather than authority,” a nominator said.
As a disability advocate and vice president of the Disability Alliance at Virginia Tech, Roshioru said her “greatest passion in life is aspiring to make the world a better place for people with disabilities.”
Roshioru was recognized for her energetic leadership for continuous civic and service initiatives.
Jillean Harris, Pursue Self-Understanding and Integrity
Harris said, "Self-understanding and integrity are not character traits — they are processes you keep choosing." Harris is a senior triple-majoring in psychology in the College of Science, human development in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and public health in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
Harris serves as a peer educator for Hokie Wellness, a peer assistant for learning at Cook Counseling, and an intern for the Dean of Students Office.
“She listens to and guides students with an adeptness that we would normally expect from a professional with a master's degree and years of experience as a social worker,” her nominator said.
Harris was recognized for channeling her resilience into empathetic service.
Emmanuel Edusei, Embrace Ut Prosim as a Way of Life
Edusei embraces Ut Prosim by seeking out opportunities that enable him to share his time and skills with others. Edusei is a Ph.D. candidate in urban environmental design and planning in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
Edusei said he enjoys when students ask him for help and he “can point them to the right place because I have been there or know where to find them.”
Edusei has served through trips focused on environmental sustainability and preservation and health and education and through non-violence, justice, community-building, and conflict resolution efforts.
“Emmanuel is able to share his own experiences with his students and continue paying forward the interest and commitment to Ut Prosim as a way of life,” said his nominator.
Edusei was recognized for embodying the spirit of service.
Victoria Lael, Embrace Ut Prosim as a Way of Life faculty award
Lael embraces service as a foundation for how she develops relationships. In her former role as director of undergraduate studies and now as instructor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, Lael has consistently embodied service as a foundation for leadership.
Her nominator said, "Victoria has inspired me and others in our department to lead through relationships and building strong connections of community with our students.”
Lael helped create the Human Development and Family Science Student Association on campus and led student-centered curriculum changes that make it easier for students to graduate on time with relevant academic experiences.
Lael was recognized for her service to students, which continually multiplies their service to their field.
Help recognize others
Student Affairs’ Aspirations for Student Learning reflect students’ commitment to learning and engaging to improve the world around them. Nominations are open for the upcoming academic year's Aspire! Awards to honor students, faculty, and staff.
Written by Caitlin Whitfield, a senior majoring in multimedia journalism
