Amanda Leckner

Amanda Leckner serves many roles at Virginia Tech.

• She is a member of the university’s Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity, advising the President's Inclusion and Diversity Executive Council on policies and procedures.
• She is a Hokies First peer mentor and student leader, helping to develop the GenerationOne Living-Learning Community and serving as a mentor to first-generation students.
• She served as an undergraduate research assistant on an NSF-funded project to help people understand the nuances of the intersection between disability and technology.
• She has been active in the Disability Alliance and Caucus at Virginia Tech, where she currently serves as an officer.
• She is also a member of Mozaiko Living-Learning Community and serves as its Vice President of Mentorship.

Amanda said, “Virginia Tech is a place where opportunities are endless. I enjoy working with others on initiatives to strengthen the communities I am part of. By being involved in a multitude of communities I have been able to meet amazing individuals and support many people who in turn have given me support and the confidence to pursue my interests and share my values. As a First-Generation college student as well as a member of the disability community, coming to college pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I am proud of myself for taking those identities in stride and being an outspoken member in both communities.”

In describing Amanda, her nominator wrote that she is “a true embodiment of what an engaged leader looks like, not leading by being the loudest but by being an excellent listener and deeply engaged with others in understanding, uplifting, and moving others to action through their own reflection and new knowledge.”

Amanda said, “Self-understanding and integrity go hand and hand. I think that learning and growing never stop. We as people are not stagnant in nature. We are meant to be dynamic and ever-evolving. I think that in pursuing self-understanding and integrity, you are able to recognize this fact, while remaining true to yourself, your beliefs, and who you are.”

A Presidential Scholarship Initiative recipient, Amanda is a sophomore majoring in National Security and Foreign Affairs. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to pursue a Juris Doctorate. She will be interning with the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea this summer. Through this research internship she will explore working in international or human rights law.

It is a privilege to present the Aspire! Award for PURSUE SELF-UNDERSTANDING AND INTEGRITY to Amanda Leckner.