Class of 2026: Grace Vaughan Sacks finds a path to law through history
Name: Grace Vaughan Sacks
College: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; The Honors College
Major: Dual major in history and philosophy
Minor: Science, technology, and law
Plans after graduation: Applying for entry‑level legal positions and law school
Favorite Hokie memory: Serving as director of The Big Event during her senior year
Discovering a love for history
Grace Vaughan Sacks did not arrive at Virginia Tech planning to major in history. Like many pre‑law students, she initially envisioned English as the most practical path.
That changed when she realized history better matched both her strengths and her curiosity.
“I was good at English,” she said, “but I was even better at history, and it interested me more.”
It dates back to seventh grade, when a history teacher recognized her potential and challenged her. In a historical mock trial centered on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, one of the deadliest industrial disasters in U.S. history, Sacks served as a defense attorney for the building's owners. The role required extensive research and close attention to historical detail. After weeks of preparation, she won the case.
“I realized that I loved the details you can find when studying history,” she said.
The experience also helped her realize she wanted to become an attorney.
A small program within a big university
For Vaughan Sacks, Virginia Tech’s history program offered the best of both worlds: a close-knit community within a large university.
She also benefited from individualized support from her academic advisor, Heath Furrow.
“Not only did he make an effort to get to know me, but he went above and beyond to offer me opportunities like being a first-year experience peer mentor,” she said.
Building analytical and writing skills through history
One of her most influential courses was historical methods with Richard Hirsh, which challenged her to examine well-known historical events through different historical lenses.
“I thoroughly enjoyed how this class opened my eyes to the more creative aspects of studying history,” she said. “There is not just one way to do history, and this course really made me realize that.”
Vaughan Sacks credits the history major with strengthening her writing skills — a skill she sees as essential for her future in law school and as an attorney.
Learning through leadership
Outside the classroom, Vaughan Sacks dedicated much of her time to service and leadership.
Throughout all four years here, she was involved with The Big Event, a student-run program that brings students, faculty, and staff together to complete community service projects throughout Blacksburg and the New River Valley. She served as a committee member, an executive, and, during her senior year, a director. Watching the event succeed in her final year and being able to step back and take it all in was "an incredible experience,” she said.
She also served on the executive board of Phi Alpha Delta, the university’s pre‑law fraternity, where she built professional networks, prepared for the LSAT, and clarified her career goals.
Those goals were further reinforced through two summers as a legal intern at Magner Law, PC in Leesburg, Virginia.
“It confirmed for me that this is the career path I want to be on,” she said.
Looking ahead
After graduation, Vaughan Sacks plans to work in an entry‑level legal position while attending law school. Long term, she hopes to become an elder law attorney specializing in wills, estates, and trusts. Ultimately, she hopes to open her own firm.
Looking back, Vaughan Sacks said she will miss the breadth of her history coursework.
“In law school, the history will be very focused on law," she said. "I’ll miss the broad scope of my history education here at Virginia Tech.”
