University Awards: Jerry Hulick '73

I was invited to speak at one of the alumni events, and I was so nervous that all of these distinguished alumni were going to be there. And I sat next to Jerry and he just put me so at ease. He was the type of person that, like, immediately put me at ease and made me feel comfortable. It becomes clear very quickly that he's always thinking about how to help other people. I know Jerry largely through his service on the Dean's roundtable. One of the things about Jerry that's really special in terms of Virginia Tech is, I don't know that we have that many alumni been recognized in the Hall of Distinction in two different colleges, and that he's been equally active for both the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Science. Jerry Hulick, a 1973 graduate of Virginia Tech, built a distinguished career in financial services, retiring as a general agent of the Washington Group of Mass Mutual. His professional path was defined not only by leadership, but by a deep commitment to helping others navigate complex financial futures. A dedicated Hokie, Hulick has remained closely connected to Virginia Tech through years of service and philanthropy, supporting initiatives that reflect the university's mission of uprising, driven by a passion for advocacy. He has focused much of his work on supporting individuals with special needs and their families. His impact continues through his support of the Virginia Tech Autism Clinic, helping expand access, research and opportunity for the community. Jerry has funded our Mobile Autism Clinic, which is essentially a van that has been converted so that we are able to travel to different parts of rural Southwest Virginia. A couple of years ago, the roof blew off. Jerry just immediately came to our aid once he heard what had happened. Jerry really does care about the Virginia Tech community. Jerry really does care about autistic individuals and their families and the greater autism community. And I think that is what makes him very special. He's had a huge impact on me personally, and also on the students and the people that I work with through the autism clinic, because he believes in what we do. And when you have somebody who believes in you. It helps you to keep believing in yourself and what you do. I can't really think of the stronger example of the spirit of the pros of and he's a walking, talking distillation of that at its best. And I think that you'd find few people better positioned to be deserving of this award, what makes Jerry unique again is the service, not just one college in an exceptional way, but to two. He's not just concerned about what can be done now to help people, but what can we continue to do to help them, like, thrive throughout their lives? I just wanted to say congratulations directly to Jerry for a well-deserved award. And thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for your unwavering support and encouragement for everything that we do at Virginia Tech.