Name: Lauryn Parks

College: College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Major: Advertising with event management minor

Plans after graduation: Searching for a dream job while pursuing opportunities in event marketing and advertising, and visiting the beach with friends and family.

Favorite Hokie memory: Sharing the Hokie experience with family and building her own community on campus.

Lauryn Parks arrived at Virginia Tech expecting to study hospitality, having worked at a winery, a hotel, and in customer service. She later made an unexpected decision that reshaped her college experience.

“I randomly chose advertising from the Virginia Tech list of majors,” Parks said. “I ended up really loving it.”

Parks now prepares to graduate from Virginia Tech with the same openness that led her to advertising in the first place, excited for what comes next, even if the path is still unfolding.

Line dancing, wine tastings, and dog yoga

Majoring in advertising while pursuing a minor in event management allowed Parks to build on her hospitality background in new ways.

At a Northern Virginia coffee shop where she worked, Parks helped organize a line dancing event, blending a personal interest with hands-on event planning experience. While working at a winery, Parks helped coordinate guided wine tastings and food pairings, eventually taking on a more hands-on role in event setup and guest experience.

For her capstone project at Virginia Tech, Parks worked with her peers to plan a dog yoga event.

“I was surprised by how many people showed up,” Parks said. “We had a wait list, it was a great event, and we raised money for a local animal shelter.”

Growing through experiences and giving back

Parks participated in two study abroad experiences, an international business cruise during her first year, and a communication-focused program in Switzerland and Italy later on. She strengthened practical skills in video editing, journalism, and social media along the way.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do those trips without scholarships,” Parks said.

The experiences left such an impact that Parks later donated to Virginia Tech’s global education fund so future students could access opportunities like the ones that shaped her own college experience.

Outside the classroom, Parks explored different sides of hospitality and communications. She served as communications director for Virginia Tech’s American Advertising Federation chapter, worked for Housing Services, and shadowed a convention management professional at a local hotel.

Working evening shifts in Housing helped Parks grow more comfortable with communication and problem-solving, which she said will carry into her future work.

Carrying on the Hokie tradition

For Parks, becoming a Hokie was never just about choosing a college.

Virginia Tech has long been part of Parks’ family story. Her father and brother-in-law are alumni, and her older sister attended the university before her. Parks followed in those footsteps, joining the Mozaiko living-learning community in Harper Hall during her first year.

“I love being a Hokie,” Parks said. “I’m always going to be a Hokie.”

Family weekend became one of Parks’ favorite reminders of that connection. Seeing her young nieces dressed in Hokie gear and hearing one excitedly say “VT” made her imagine the tradition continuing for another generation.

While Parks does not yet know exactly where her career will take her, Virginia Tech taught her to trust the process and stay open to what comes next.

“It’s all about the big picture,” Parks said. “I used to want quick success, but now I take it slowly and work one point at a time to get there.”

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