Cadets Olivia Ellis and Paige McCauley will travel with the Hokies to receive the flags at Friday night’s football game at Boston College.

The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and the Virginia Tech football team continue their proud partnership to highlight the colors during the pre-game ceremony at every football game.

Three football players, chosen because of their performance in the last game or at practice, carry the American flag, the state flag, and the team’s spirit flag and lead the team onto the field. They deliver the flags to cadets at the south end of the field. 

The cadets, also selected based on their performance in the corps, render honor to the flags and carry them off the field. At home games three first-year cadets are selected, and one or two upper-class cadets travel with the team and receive the flags at away games. 

Both cadets are in the corps' Citizen-Leader Track program. These cadets graduate without a military obligation but will take the corps’ leadership training directly to their chosen careers.

Ellis is a senior majoring in biology in the College of Science. She was chosen for her positive outlook, her ability to build morale, and her work to mentor cadets during their PT sessions.

McCauley is a senior majoring in human nutrition, foods, and exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She also was chosen for her positive attitude and for her work with cadets who are restarting PT sessions after an injury. McCauley is an EMT and heads up the corps’ cadet EMT team.

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