Aspire! Awards
The Aspire! Awards recognize students, faculty, and staff who exemplify Student Affairs' Aspirations for Student Learning. Five students, one representing each Aspiration, and one faculty/staff member will be honored at each celebration in the months of October, December, February, March, and April. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2022-2023 Aspire! Awards.
Aspire! Award Celebrations
- Dates for the 2023-2024 Aspire! Award celebrations will be listed here once they are available.
The Aspire! Award Celebrations will be hosted in person at the Inn at Virginia Tech, unless announced otherwise.
The Aspire! Awards were established by Student Affairs in 2011 as a way to recognize and celebrate the Virginia Tech students who embody the Aspirations for Student Learning.
Five times a year, five students who live the Aspirations for Student Learning are honored as recipients of Aspire! Awards. The Aspire! Awards are open to students of all majors and levels of study.
In 2013, the Aspire! Awards were expanded to include university employees who live and teach the Aspirations in their work. At each of the five Aspire! Awards celebrations throughout the academic year, one employee who has made outstanding contributions to student learning is recognized.
In 2015, the Aspire! Awards were further broadened to include the Alumni Ut Prosim Aspire! Award. Presented once each year in April, the Alumni Ut Prosim Aspire! Award goes to a Virginia Tech alumnus who represents our hopes for all students – that they live lives of curiosity, integrity, innovation, leadership, success, fulfillment, and that they continue to embody the university’s motto, Ut Prosim, as a way of life.
Aspire! Awards recipients are honored at breakfast gatherings in the months of October, November, February, March, and April. During the awards presentation, each recipient’s story is told and later featured online. The Aspire! Awards breakfasts have become an inspirational and integral part of the Student Affairs’ culture, with university, community, and family guests frequently participating in the recognition event.
Aspire! Award nominations can be made by anyone who believes an individual merits recognition for living the Aspirations for Student Learning in their daily lives. Nominations are submitted through an online form at the Aspirations website, and should include an essay of up to 750 words focusing on why the nominee fits the spirit of a specific Aspiration. Once a nomination is received, Student Affairs’ five Aspirations committees review each submission and choose the individuals they believe best represent the essence of the Aspirations. Over the years, hundreds of nominations have been received and, as of summer 2017, 174 Aspire! Awards have been presented.
Student Affairs’ Aspirations for Student Learning represent the pinnacle of Virginia Tech’s aspirations for and expectations of students. They are:
- Commit to unwavering CURIOSITY
- Pursue SELF-UNDERSTANDING and INTEGRITY
- Practice CIVILITY
- Prepare for a life of COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP
- Embrace UT PROSIM as a way of life.
The Aspirations for Student Learning were developed and adopted to:
- Complement and complete students’ academic and professional education
- Challenge students to develop habits of interpersonal awareness, intentional actions, and self-reflection
- Connect knowledge to the possibilities for improving humanity near and far
- Guide them in creating a positive legacy now and in the future.
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Anthony ShafronAn open mind is a pathway to civility. Anthony Shafron doesn’t just walk that path – he leads others to it.
Date: Apr 14, 2023 -
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Marciana CastilloMarciana Castillo’s definition of embracing Ut Prosim as a way of life is deceptively simple.
Date: Apr 07, 2023 -
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Theo BlairIt’s hard for Theo Blair to choose just one highlight of their time at Virginia Tech.
Date: Mar 31, 2023 -
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Scott BaileyScott Bailey loves space. As professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Bradley Senior Faculty Fellow, Scott is Director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Space Science and Engineering Research – otherwise known as Space@VT.
Date: Mar 24, 2023 -
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Lauren SartoriWhy would a graphic design major be conducting undergraduate research in autonomous drilling, artificial intelligence monitoring, and robotic systems for excavation? For Lauren Sartori, at least part of the answer is a commitment to unwavering curiosity.
Date: Mar 22, 2023 -
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Eric ThomasEric Thomas knows what moves him. “My passion is to celebrate the experience of being alive with others,” he said. Understanding his passion and living it with integrity move him to create connections and build communities.
Date: Mar 20, 2023
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