Claire Seibel

As much as the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets has given Claire Seibel, she has found ways to give back to the organization and her fellow cadets.

Claire serves as Sergeant Major for the Third Battalion, the highest-ranking junior in the battalion. She expertly develops visionary training plans for first year and sophomore cadets and supervises execution of those training plan through company First Sergeants.  

Claire’s nominator wrote, “Claire is an innovator. An Honor’s College and consistent Dean’s List student, she leads from the front and sets the example for excellence to be emulated by the cadets she leads.”

Claire said, “I found my place at Virginia Tech by surrounding myself with people who had similar values and aspirations. That community ended up being the Corps of Cadets, which I decided to join in high school when I started asking myself who I wanted to be after college, not just what I wanted to do. I realized I wanted to be in an environment that would challenge me and prepare me for a life of service. Joining the Corps of Cadets meant joining a community of people with diverse backgrounds, views, and strengths, but who are brought together by this common desire to serve. This community gave me my place.”

Claire’s accomplishments are many:

• As a sophomore, she was selected the Virginias Collegiate Emerging Honors Scholar of the Year, the first Virginia Tech student to gain this recognition.
• Claire spearheaded innovative solutions to Corps activities during COVID restrictions, including development of a one-of-a-kind Corps of Cadets graduation ceremony to honor the Corps Class of 2021.
• She also attended the Mandarin Chinese Summer Language Institute and gained proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking Mandarin Chinese.

Claire, a junior, is currently majoring in International Trade and Development but plans to change to Mathematics next semester. She hopes to serve in the field of military intelligence.

Claire said, “Fear of failure and fear of what others think too often get in the way of us challenging ourselves, accepting risk, and pursuing possibilities. It's been a struggle for me for as long as I can remember. However, I have never regretted shutting down that voice and taking a leap into the next challenge. I learned to ask myself ‘what's the hesitation?’ If I'm only hesitating because of potential failure or worry about what others think, I take a breath and dive in. Even if it doesn't go as planned, pushing ourselves is the only way to grow and the best way to learn. Courageous leadership is staying steadfast in your values. It is setting aside selfish motivations and doing what is right because it is right.”

Claire is already demonstrating her drive to serve as a change agent and make the world more humane and just. We can’t wait to see where her passion, experience, innovation, and visionary leadership take her next.

Claire, it is an honor to present to you the Aspire! Award for PREPARING FOR A LIFE OF COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP.