Marching towards independence

Through marching band and an internship, the professional and technical writing major has found her Hokie home.

Coming into my third year at Virginia Tech, little freshman me would never have imagined that I would end up where I am now.

Moving from Chicago, where I was born, to Houston, and then eventually to Richmond, I have seen my fair share of the country we call home. And while I lived in Texas for most of my life, I was pretty young during that period. Most of the experiences and friendships I remember having were fun-filled and bursting with sunshine, but my memory of how I truly felt is a bit cloudy. Besides Houston, I have never been in a place longer than 5 years until now. To me, this place has become more like home day by day.

When I first arrived at Virginia Tech, so many feelings flooded through me. I was excited to try new things and find my independence, but nervous to put myself out there, anxiously wondering if I would ever find the right group of people for me. But after joining The Marching Virginians, Tech’s marching band, step by step I began to feel like I was somewhere where I belonged.

It’s hard not to become close to a group of people that you spend so much of your time with. Especially since we are all experiencing the same things together, these experiences and memories truly bond us through this musical passion of ours, as I know they do for me. Whether it’s jumping together to “Enter Sandman” at football games, singing on a bus while traveling to an away game, or hanging out at a fellow member’s apartment, these are all unique experiences that only us Marching Virginians get to be a part of, which makes it so special.

Being a part of the marching band here has taught me to put myself out there. I have always been an introvert, with a movie night at home at the top of my list of things to do on a Saturday night. And while I would choose that option without question, these past few years have broadened my options for weekend fun. I have never been to more parties and hangouts in the past 20 years of my life than I did these past couple of years, and doing so has opened me up to new experiences, as well as boosted my confidence as an individual.

In addition to marching band, writing has also brought me closer to the community, as well as aided me in discovering myself. This past semester I had the pleasure of participating in the Department of English’s enrollable internship “Words & Pictures”. This course, which also counted as an internship, exposed me to certain kinds of media that I had not had the chance to try but would be very relevant to my professional career down the road after graduating.

I made a podcast, created photo albums, dipped my toes in graphic design, created a video, wrote feature stories on students and staff, photographed many departmental events, and penned many captions and shorter articles, all of which were published on the department’s various social media platforms and newsletters. By getting first-hand experience like this, I gained valuable skills in my field of study, which increased confidence in my skills and helped me feel more prepared to take on the next career.

I am amazed by how much I have grown, and where life has taken me. These experiences have shaped me in ways that I never thought possible, and I will never take them for granted — not just as a Hokie, but as a human.