Thriving with community

For many students, starting an academic career on a bustling, picturesque campus is something they’ve always dreamed of. It’s an exciting chapter filled with new friends, academic challenges, and a fresh sense of independence. For others, leaving home for the first time and adjusting to life away from family and familiar routines brings homesickness and uncertainty. In fact, according to a 2023 survey, more than half of college students experience homesickness.

At Virginia Tech, Living Learning Communities (LLCs) offer a unique bridge into campus life, providing not only a shared living space but also a built-in network of support. The College of Engineering boasts three, housed in Pritchard Hall; Galileo and Hypatia are for male and female engineering students, respectively, and Digerati, newly established in 2023, is geared towards students who are interested in computer science, information technology (IT), or technology. These communities create a home away from home for engineering undergraduates. With shared academic interests and social events, students living in these communities quickly learn that they’re not alone. 

We explored the journey of first-year students living in these communities and talked with some of their essential leaders. These are the stories of engineering Hokies who have forged a new sense of home within their LLCs, discovering friendships, mentors, and support networks along the way.

Dedicated to developing the future 

Deanna Katey and Jazmin Becerra Montaño know what it takes to support first-year students who are searching for a “home” on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus. And, for these two Hypatia and Galileo advocates and directors, it is understood that home is much more than a place where you sleep or keep your belongings.

DeAnna Katey, director of undergraduate student programs, College of Engineering

Katey is the director of undergraduate student programs in the College of Engineering. She has always been a strong advocate for the retention of underrepresented and underserved students.

“I feel a deep sense of connection to the mission of Hypatia and Galileo,” said Katey. “When I was a student, there was no set community within my residence hall that made me feel connected. I was left to navigate being the first person in my immediate family to attend college while hundreds of miles away from home with very little support. I had to work to create a community, with very little direction. Working with Hypatia and Galileo allows me to create that space for students experiencing the same things I did.”

Katey and the other leaders work hard to provide a sense of belonging for these students and keep them engaged with events like Slush Rush, Engineering the Future: Celebrating First-Gen Engineers, and Cook Counseling’s stress management program.

Jazmin Becerra Montaño, assistant director of undergraduate programs, Hypatia and Galileo

Jazmin Becerra Montaño is the assistant director of undergraduate programs and currently teaches a Hypatia first-year seminar class and interacts with students in the community firsthand. As a first-generation Mexican-American, she strives to be a support system for her students and create a safe space for open dialogue, particularly for those who may often feel unheard at various stages of their academic and young adult journey.

“Through teaching first-year Galipatia students in general engineering, overseeing the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED) Peer Mentoring Program, and advising some eleVaTed Scholars, I have been able to support many engineering students both academically, professionally, and personally,” said Becerra Montaño. “It’s amazing to see these students grow with every meeting or event they participate in. I am very intentional about the environment I create for them so they can feel safe to bring up any concerns or struggles they are having.”

Perry Martin, assistant director of student programs, Digerati

Perry Martin is the assistant director of student programs and leads first-years in Digerati. Martin has been involved with LLCs in engineering and with CEED since the mid-2000s and was a natural choice to guide students through the newly founded, technology-focused community.

“I’m personally inspired to watch the growth of our students in Digerati,” said Martin. “Their ability to connect with peers and align their academic interests with a broader world-view of how information technology can be leveraged to address many of the challenges plaguing our world. Seeing their growth gives me a lot of satisfaction. I really enjoy working with them to develop their focus on how they can make a difference.”

Martin is a native of southwest Virginia and understands the importance of providing prospective students from rural areas with the tools and opportunities necessary to be prepared for academic success in programs like computer science. 

“Our Digerati students have been involved in promoting our program among pre-college populations at events in southwest Virginia, specifically Roanoke, Christiansburg, and Blacksburg this semester,” he said.

Martin and his student residents have helped develop zoom-based programming for CEED’s pre-college participants, including those from southwest Virginia, to give them access to extracurricular learning like coding workshops.

Tenacious talent lives within

The College of Engineering is a competitive program for those seeking a quality education in the field. Hypatia, Galileo, and Digerati residents can expect built-in support from like-minded students who understand the rigors of the engineering curriculum. In addition, graduate students from the College of Engineering play a key part in leading the programming that takes place in these communities, allowing residents to learn from their peers and experience academic and professional development that supplements what they are learning inside of the classroom. Many of these graduate students were former residents in the programs themselves.

Thanks to support from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), students with demonstrated need are able to pursue a degree in engineering from Virginia Tech through the EleVaTed Engineering Scholars program. The scholars selected for the program must be Virginia residents and live in Hypatia or Galileo during their first two years on campus. EleVaTed Engineering Scholars is just one of the many scholarship programs that are supported by the living learning communities. Other notable programs that support student success include the A. James Clark Scholars Program, made possible by a $15 million investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation and requires students to live in an engineering LLC for two years, as well as the Pathways for Future Engineers first-generation students who are guaranteed admission into the LLCs. These scholarships aim to provide support to underrepresented students from various backgrounds and make a powerful statement about the value of college access, inclusion, and diversity. Engineering students in these LLCs also hold scholarships from several prestigious organizations like the VT-ESTEEMED program which is funded by the National Institutes of Health and focuses on early preparation for undergraduate students in the field of bioengineering or STEM disciplines relevant to bioengineering.

Trinity Davis, Hypatia resident and EleVaTed Engineering Scholar

Trinity Davis is a first-year student from Richmond who remembers when she got the offer to be an EleVaTed Engineering Scholar. The scholarship covers four years of tuition, room and board, books, laptops, software, and all of the supplies necessary for a student to excel in engineering. 

“I woke up to a call from a 5-4-0 area code and thought, I should probably answer this,” said Davis. “DeAnna Katey was on the other side of the phone, and she told me I’d be receiving a full scholarship to Virginia Tech as part of the EleVaTed Scholars program. I was in shock, and all I could say was, woah!” 

Now that Davis is on campus and has officially started her first year in the program, she is especially grateful for the camaraderie and support from the other female engineering students on her floor in Pritchard. 

“I chose my high school because it had an engineering program, but I was one of only a few females in that program,” she said. “Tech still has more male engineering students, but the sixth and seventh floor here in Pritchard is full of other women who are experiencing the same thing as me. There is a group chat where we can receive help from each other with homework or let someone borrow something like a calculator if needed. It’s been a really supportive environment, especially during my first semester.”

Anthony Oge, Galileo resident

Anthony Oge always knew that the College of Engineering was the place for him. As a high school student, someone from Virginia Tech came to his class to speak about the great educational opportunities for students with an interest in STEM. Oge ended up participating in a CEED summer camp, which really sealed the deal for him. 

“STEP (Student Transition Engineering Program) is a CEED program that gave me an inside look into campus life and solidified my choice to study engineering at Virginia Tech,” said Oge. “My family is full of nurses, and they often pushed me to go into nursing or to become a doctor when I was younger, but my passion has always been to study engineering. I saw Galileo as an opportunity to connect with other students who have that same passion, and a way to stimulate my academic journey in STEM.” 

Oge even has the opportunity to help other students living in Pritchard as a work-study student in the hall’s on-site makerspace, named the inVenTs Studio. The space is newly renovated and houses equipment like 3D printers, computer numerical control (CNC) machines, and power tools so residents can work on design projects in a convenient location–just steps away from their rooms.

“I've made strong connections with the student leaders in Pritchard, and I am thankful for their academic support,” he said. “In fact, their guidance has inspired me to apply to be a student leader myself.”

Chloe DeKorsey, Hypatia resident, EleVaTed Engineering Scholar

From playing with Legos as a kid to attending a robotics summer camp in middle school, Chloe Dekorsey has always known engineering was her calling. It was an email from Virginia Tech Engineering with an offer to become an EleVaTed Engineering Scholar that solidified her choice.

“I am incredibly grateful for this scholarship because it has opened the door to many opportunities,” DeKorsey said. "The program not only organizes meaningful trips and helps us stay on track academically, but it also supports my dream of studying abroad. I also love the community it has connected me with; all the students are so much fun, and I’m thrilled to be part of such a close-knit group. Being surrounded by peers facing similar challenges has made the first-year college experience feel less isolating.”

DeKorsey also spoke to the abundance of opportunities available on campus to get involved, and the nearby hiking trails that provide a break from coursework. “In Pritchard, I enjoy hanging out in the lounges with friends and meeting new people, as everyone is very open and engaging. I also love working in the InVenTs Studio for the invaluable hands-on experience it offers.”

Christian Franklin, Digerati resident

Christian Franklin’s journey to Virginia Tech and to Digerati was somewhat serendipitous. The Gloucester, Virginia native was originally drawn to computer science thanks to mentorship from a high school instructor. That same instructor encouraged him to apply to Virginia Tech. Franklin submitted his early admission application and accepted the offer without ever stepping foot on campus. 

“When I first got to Blacksburg, I put my stuff in my room in Pritchard Hall and decided to go out and explore,” he said. “I put in my headphones and just walked around. I actually got lost, which is funny, because now I know every crevice of this campus.”

Franklin joined Digerati, the College of Engineering’s newest LLC in its first year in 2023, and values the commonalities he has with other community members, as well as the community director Perry Martin.

“I always say joining Digerati was the best decision I ever made,” said Franklin. “The bonds we have here are really strong thanks to everyone’s interest in technology. We host “Away from Keyboard” events, which are always fun. Perry is a fantastic leader and mentor and always talks about the importance of developing soft skills to complement our academic work.”

Abdulai Kargbo, Digerati resident, VT-ESTEEMED Scholar

Abdulai Kargbo became interested in living in Digerati after participating in STEP as a high school student. The newest LLC provided continuity with peers who had also participated in the five-week summer bridge experience. As a biomedical engineering student, Kargbo is learning the importance of applying information technology (IT) skills to his field and has seen the benefits that Digerati provides to even non-engineering students. The community holds weekly seminars that often feature professionals who discuss the interdisciplinary use of IT.

Photos by Peter Means