Alumni Announcements
Full Speed Ahead
I am very humbled to have been given the opportunity to serve at a place that we all care so much about. Both previous alumni directors, Col. Rock Roszak ’71 and Col. Patience Larkin ’87, left some large shoes to fill, and they have turned over the products and insights to ensure that many of our successes of the past will continue in a positive trajectory during my tenure.
World events have caused us to relook at ways in which we get together, stay in contact, and celebrate. In true Corps of Cadets fashion, we not only survived, but thrived despite these obstacles. In fact, attendance at this past Corps Reunion increased 60 percent for Friday events and increased 20 percent for Saturday events compared with our last in-person reunion in 2019.
We have identified aspects of alumni events that work really well and are well-received, and we have identified some things that we want to tighten up and execute differently in the future.
As we strive to make alumni programs and events continuously better each year, there are a few things that we need your help with:
1. It is imperative that we have accurate contact information for you so that we can notify you about upcoming events and news. Please keep the alumni office aware as your contact information changes.
2. I challenge each one of you to check in with a classmate within one week of reading this note. If you are out of contact with your buds, please contact the alumni office at vtccalumni@vt.edu. We can assist in connecting you (with that person’s permission, of course).
3. Stay linked to a couple of online resources, such as the Corps of Cadets website, the commandant’s Facebook page, and our official alumni Facebook page. We will continue to aggressively push information to you, but if you are not receiving information, please pull!
My job is to be your eyes and ears on Upper Quad while also being the eyes and ears for the commandant and the Corps’ advancement office. Expect monthly e-mail updates from me (through your Class Champions) that summarize what is happening on campus. If you don’t start seeing this information, please notify us at vtccalumni@vt.edu.
Over the coming months, some of our events and mechanisms to maintain and strengthen our alumni network will look slightly different as we look to enhance your experience. It is my belief that your Hokie experience did not end at graduation.
Your time as a cadet and a student was the cost of admission to a lifetime Hokie experience. Don’t miss out on what you paid for. Engage with alumni, attend events, stay CONNECTED!
Ut Prosim,
Cmdr. Nate Brown ‘98
nhbrown@vt.edu
Distinguished Alumni Award
Nominations for the 2022 Distinguished Alumni of the Corps are due by Jan. 14, 2022.
Those recommended for this award should serve as inspiring examples for our alumni and cadets and embody the values found on Virginia Tech’s Pylons.
Nominees must have been enrolled in the Corps of Cadets for a minimum of two years (four semesters or eight quarters). Complete instructions and forms can be found online.
Questions should be directed to vtccalumni@vt.edu.
The award recipient(s) and nominator will be notified in early February.
Upcoming Events
Here are some events on the horizon for this winter and spring:
- Fall Corps graduation, Dec. 17
- Spring Gunfighter Panel, Feb. 10, 2022
- Military Ball and Senior Banquet, Feb. 18, 2022
- Cutchins Leadership Lecture Series: Gen. Darren McDew, March 31, 2022
- 2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards, March 31, 2022
- Spring alumni board meeting, April 29, 2022
- Change of Command Parade, April 30, 2022
- Spring Corps graduation, May 13, 2022
- Virginia Tech Reunion Weekend, June 9-12, 2022
Get Ready for Giving Day
Mark your calendars for Virginia Tech Giving Day, Feb. 23-24, 2022. Your donation to the Corps of Cadets on Giving Day directly supports our cadets on their journeys to become the next generation of leaders.
Giving Day brings together Hokies from all around the world to support the colleges, departments, programs, organizations, and teams that mean the most to them. Every gift, no matter the size, helps support students, cadets, faculty, and staff doing amazing things.
This year, the Corps of Cadets will bring back its popular Battle of the Decades, won last year by the Classes of the 2000s. The decade with the highest number of participants will earn funds for its decade’s Class Endowed Scholarship provided by Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Alumni Inc. board members.
More details will be coming out in January 2022.
Class of 2023 Ring Namesake
Irving L. Peddrew III ’57, the first Black student to attend Virginia Tech, was named the class ring namesake for the Class of 2023. Peddrew was honored at Ring Premiere on Oct. 6 and will be at Ring Dance in March 2022.
In 1953, as a “rat” in the Corps and the only Black student at Virginia Tech, Peddrew said he was treated no worse and no better than any of the other first-year cadets. Because of segregation policies of the time, he was required to live and take meals off-campus, which prevented him from being, as he said, a full student. Cadet drills and activities such as attending football games with the Corps were where Peddrew felt included and valued.