Class of 2026: Emma Roshioru thrives on serving others

Name: Emma Roshioru

College: Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Major: Public relations and political science with a minor in disability studies

Hometown: Roanoke

Plans after graduation: Attend graduate school at Virginia Tech to pursue her master's degree in communication and become a public policy advocate for accessibility and inclusion for people of varying abilities

Favorite Hokie Memory: Attending a Metallica concert in Lane Stadium

A passion for service

Roshioru has had a passion for service all her life. It’s what led her to major in both public relations and political science at Virginia Tech.

“I never necessarily questioned the two [majors] going hand-in-hand, because I think a lot of policy is communications,” Roshioru said. “I saw the two being really important for going into the field of policy as a legal profession and how to better communicate policies across all populations.”

Roshioru is this year’s outstanding senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Also, she recently was named Virginia Tech’s fourth Truman Scholar in university history.

Throughout her four years in Blacksburg, Roshioru has driven change on campus with several service organizations. Serving as president of the Undergraduate Student Senate, she acts as a voice for the student body in deliberations about campus policies and legislature. 

“I serve on about 15 university and state committees and commissions, so a lot of the week is in and out of meetings, but I’m ensuring that in each of those meetings I’m representing the undergraduate student body and what that means,” Roshioru said.

Roshioru has a number of widely impactful responsibilities, such as managing six-figure budgets for student organizations and working with university administrators and state officials to optimize the student experience.

The position has given her a wealth of experience in policy advocating, which she intends to carry into her future career.

“Whether it’s discussing the integration of AI [artificial intelligence] into coursework and what that looks like from the student perspective, or voicing concerns about tuition and fees — I think all of those are really applicable to real world situations,” Roshioru said. “Whether it's communicating with government officials in an actual government relations role, or if it's within a corporation, or even just on a day-to-day basis, I’m learning how to navigate hard conversations because they are definitely something that come up a lot in the role.”

The impact of family

Roshioru cites her family as her inspiration for her interest in public policy. 

“Across the course of my life, I have kind of considered myself in this ‘disability bubble,’ because I come from a family where we all have different levels and types of disability,” Roshioru said. 

Through navigating a physical disability of her own and growing up with her older brother Ryan, who has an intellectual disability, she became aware of the implications of state and federal policies on people of various abilities. Roshioru’s experience led her to join the Disability Alliance, a group on campus for disabled Virginia Tech community members and allies that is focused on community building, mutual support, and disability activism.

Roshirou’s passion for creating inclusive communities extends beyond Blacksburg. She’s been involved with the Special Olympics since she was in elementary school, participating in a variety of different competitions with her brother. Recently, she’s spearheaded the organization’s new cheerleading program in Roanoke.

“They are like my favorite group of people on earth,” Roshioru said.

The cheerleading team provides an opportunity for athletes of all ability levels to participate and express themselves creatively. 

“It’s an opportunity for them to just be themselves,” Roshioru said. “They have a place where they can do whatever dance they want to do. It doesn’t have to be totally proper cheerleading, which is also helpful, because me not having ever cheered, I was able to teach myself in a way that would be more inclusive of how they learn and their learning style.”

Embracing the culture

Virginia Tech was Roshioru’s top college choice. The short distance from her hometown allowed her to be close to her family while working toward her degree.

“I knew I wanted to be somewhere as close as possible to my brother but also attend a school that has really competitive programs and was the only school at the time to offer a disability studies program,” Roshioru said.

Beyond the academic and geographic advantages of attending Virginia Tech, the campus culture was a pivotal factor for Roshioru. The inclusive environment and service-oriented atmosphere resonated with her, and helped reaffirm her passion for public service.

“When you’re surrounded by a like-minded culture of students who all have a passion to serve and a dedication to Ut Prosim, it really makes it easy to carry on that path,” Roshioru said.