Campus involvement helps this Hokie practice Civility

Sebastian Andrade is passionate about people. His family. His friends. The constituents of the organizations he’s part of. It’s no wonder his top strength is Woo! This passion and strength is evident in the way he engages the Virginia Tech community.

Currently, Sebastian serves as a global ambassador with Cranwell International Center and the student program coordinator at El Centro, the Hispanic and Latinx Cultural Center. He’s president of SalsaTech, vice president of the Latino Association of Student Organizations, public relations representative for the Council of International Student Organizations, member of the International Student Advisory Board, and peer mentor with Leadership Tech.

Sebastian said, “Being in these programs has allowed me to engage in conversation that can be difficult sometimes, but the important thing that we need to remember is that we have to respect and try to understand where the other person is coming from in order to fully be able to engage and create community.”

His nominator wrote, “The first time I met Sebastian was in August 2017 to award him a certificate for speaking on behalf of Cranwell International Center’s program International VOICES. He spoke from his international student perspective at a professional development workshop that Cranwell facilitated for faculty and staff. Sebastian was confident, calm, and explained his perspective to a room full of individuals who had never experienced what it was like to be a young adult learning in a country completely different from what they were accustomed to at home. I remember being very impressed by how patient he was in answering all questions, and how he responded with good-natured humor.”

The highlight of his college experience has been his involvement with El Centro because of all that he’s learned in that role -- professionally, academically, and as a person. One thing he’s learned is that we should be aware of what we say and when we say it because we never know who we’re affecting or influencing.

His nominator wrote, “Sebastian is courteous, considerate, understanding, and empathetic, all while maintaining a positive attitude. He encourages other students to go out and meet as many different people as possible, as he thinks it is crucial that people learn more about other peoples and other cultures.”

Sebastian is a junior majoring in international studies with a concentration in business. He’s quadruple minoring in business leadership; leadership and social change; French; and philosophy, politics, and economics. He’s fluent in three languages: English, Spanish, and French; proficient in Italian; and certified as a neuro-linguistic programming practitioner. Additionally, he’s a member of the Presidential Global Scholars program.