The importance of student representation on the Board of Visitors

The students are a critical part of the work that we do as a Board of Visitors. I mean, oftentimes, we don't get to hear all the information that we may need to around the student experience. So hearing directly from the students about what's going well, what needs to be improved makes us a more effective board and ultimately makes the university better. I wanted to be a representative because I wanted to be a part of the higher administration that had a direct impact on the decisions, choices that were made at the university. My freshman year, I was fortunate enough to get involved and really felt the passion and the drive that the administration had for change. And I just really wanted to be a part of that story and that history at Virginia Tech. I wanted to be the graduate and professional student representative to make an impact on the student experience here at Virginia Tech. I really liked working with people and I really liked getting to know more about them and their experiences here. Shared governance is super, super important for our university to function. And I think it's important when they're making big decisions to have student perspectives and have a student voice. Because our experiences really are the ones that matter and that are affected by these decisions. And so I think it's a really big collaborative opportunity and important for the university to function. So much of what the board does and so much of what the university is about is for the students, for them to have my opinion, my perspective, my facts, is critical for them to make the right decision for the student body and for the university. It's also a great leadership opportunity, if you think about the folks that you are involved with sitting at the table, having discussions around a variety of issues. But also, learning from other leaders that may be serving on the board as well. It's a really great professional role for me to be in. And I get the pleasure of seeing my work directly impact student experience here. It's a phenomenal position. The people you get to work with are incredible and the opportunities that are presented as a result are outstanding and out of this world.