Leadership Experiences

Fifteen people, both students and faculty, stand arm in arm smiling in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris — Cohort I of Global Scholars 2025 in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Photo by Jill Shelton '95.

LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

The Corps of Cadets is a four-year progressive leader development program based upon a servant-leader model whose foundation is selflessness steeped in respect for others. Each class year in the Cops focuses on an element of leadership that builds toward graduating leaders that are prepared to lead and trusted to serve.

First-year: leading self, preparing to be a fire team leader

Sophomore year: leading people, preparing to be a cadet NCO

Junior year: leading organizations, preparing to be a cadet officer

Senior year: leading for the future, preparing to be a junior officer or citizen- leader

Each year is further divided into semesters that build on the preceding semester’s experience using a learn-experience progression, with the fall focused on learning skills that will be put into practice and reflected on in the spring semester.

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES

Cadets have the opportunity to attend leadership conferences around the nation, many sponsored by service academies and other senior military colleges. At these conferences, cadets get to interact with their peers from these other military training institutions along with civilian students pursuing leadership training. Engaging with peers enhances the leader development experience and allows cadets to bring best practices back to the Corps and their own personal leadership style.

GLOBAL EXPERIENCES

Cadets can take part in all of the study abroad opportunities offered at Virginia Tech. ROTC cadets can also take advantage of ROTC-specific programs.

The Corps administers two study abroad opportunities: the Corps’ Global Scholars Program and the Olmsted Foundation Undergraduate Scholars program.

Global Scholars Program

Focused on leadership, national security, and global competency, the VTCC Global Scholars Program includes a three-credit hour seminar for selected cadets during the spring semester followed by a weeklong trip to overseas battlefields in May funded almost entirely by alumni donations. The program’s goal is applied history — using the lessons of World War I and World War II and other conflicts to inspire wider discussions about current world leadership and national security challenges.

Olmsted Foundation Undergraduate Scholars

The George and Carol Olmsted Foundation gives active-duty military officers, along with cadets and midshipmen at the senior military colleges, a better understanding of foreign cultures. Most recently, the Olmsted scholars traveled through the International Cultural Immersion Program in Panama.

Project GO

Project Global Officer (Project GO) is a Department of War initiative aimed at improving the language skills, regional expertise, and intercultural communication ability of future military officers. However, it is currently paused. In the meantime, the Department of War recommends interested cadets look into: the Boren Awards or the Language Flagship.

GUEST SPEAKERS

Each semester, the Corps brings in notable speakers on topics of leadership and ethics, as well as Medal of Honor recipients, as part of the Cutchins Leadership Lecture Series. During our Leaders in Contact panels, Corps alumni from all walks of life talk about their experiences after graduation and explain how lessons learned as cadets affect their careers today.