Oh, the Places We Go

I attended a seminar today on Rabies at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Probably never been, there have you? Its around a 10-minute walk from McCommas Gym. (Beware the hill on your way back up).

It’s essentially the Veterinary School affiliated with Virginia Tech and is made up of a distinguished class of students well on their way to becoming veterinarians. I got the opportunity to meet several people at the seminar who had attended Virginia Tech as an undergraduate. They went on to graduate school or right into their career but found themselves back here working on research or a project. It got me thinking about how being a Hokie truly follows you everywhere.

For example, the guest speaker today had attended Virginia Tech and The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine as a student. She currently works for the Wildlife Division at Virginia’s USDA division and is involved in global projects that take her around the world. But she, like many other Hokies, continue returning here because after all, it is home.

Being a Hokie is not just about the 4 years that you spend here as an undergraduate student. It’s not just about standing in line for the Qdoba at peak lunch time to get some queso or attending a football game in 100-degree weather or waking up extra early to get a study booth at Newman. It’s all about the individuals you connect with, the experiences you get to have that help steer you closer to your career, and the sense of community you feel. Just to name a few things. This is what brings back Hokies back to Blacksburg regardless of how far into their life they are. It’s the feeling of home that settles in when we first see Hokie stone and follows us wherever we go in life. Go hokies!