Dan Maguire
Dan Maguire supports his alma mater -- not just as a generous donor but also as an engaged mentor to current students. Dan is a member of the Virginia Tech class of 1994, graduating with a degree in Management Science. He is CEO of TeraThink and a member of the Student Affairs Alumni Advisory Board. Along with his business partner, J.P. Foley, also a Virginia Tech graduate, he created an endowment within Student Affairs to support undergraduate leadership training.
This spring, Dan became our first Alumni Scholar of Practice and will serve on the Thrive Living-Learning Community steering committee. In this role, Dan will facilitate learning experiences that introduce students to critical skills such as communication, leadership and professionalism, and agile project management.
According to Dan, it is important for alumni to be involved in current students’ college experiences. He said, “I don’t ever remember a formal setting in my undergraduate years when I was being coached or mentored by alumni, but now, some 22 years later, I see how important it is and that is why I jump at the chance to be involved. I look for areas where I can take my experience and apply it to help a network and community of people that matter to me. I mentor employees and colleagues at my company and within my business network all the time. I enjoy that for sure. There is just something totally different and incredibly refreshing about engaging with students. I get a lot out of it and I think the students do as well.”
Dan is a champion of strengths-based learning and helps students connect their strengths to their priorities and potential life path. He is clear on how his own strengths contribute to the way that he engages others personally and professionally. He finds self-awareness to be the most important, then common sense, and then knowledge.
Always candid and thought-provoking, Dan is passing along to current Virginia Tech student life lessons he has learned. To quote Dan, “Our pain is their gain. We’ve already made some mistakes, bad choices, and we can share that. Conversely, we have also had many successes and we know why. That should also be shared. The best learning, in my opinion, comes from hearing about other people’s successes and failures and the lessons learned. I want to go wherever the students take me, but all the while, tie it back to the concept of ‘What does it mean to thrive?’”
It is an honor to present the Alumni Aspire! Award for embracing UT PROSIM as a way of life to Student Affairs’ partner and champion, Dan Maguire.
