IT IS HARD IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT into words how special it is to be a Hokie.

How do you adequately describe the power of our community, the experiences we all share, the common bond of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve)? Virginia Tech is a place, of course—a beautiful and special one—but for me and so many of you, it is so much more than that.

Virginia Tech is a feeling.

As president of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors, I have been able to share with the world what it means to be a Hokie and give back to our alma mater.

It has been an honor to serve you. This year, Virginia Tech’s 150th, is my final year as leader of the alumni board. Thinking about my time as president, I am proud of what we have accomplished together and how far our university has come.

As part of our sesquicentennial, we celebrate our present while also honoring our past. This March marks 100 years of women students at Virginia Tech.

Reflecting on my own place in history, I am the first Black female board president. The board I lead is one of the most diverse we have ever had. That fills me with immense pride, and it is my expectation that our board will continue to be representative of our diverse alumni population.

Looking back on my tenure, there is so much that I am proud of including the creation of our Black Alumni Society, our innovation through COVID-19, and the growing number of engaged Hokies.

The creation of our Black Alumni Society has come to fruition after countless years of planning and the tireless work of so many alumni. The society will celebrate the rich history of our Black alumni.

Through the pandemic we found new ways to stay connected. Our community came together during the last two years, and we faced an unprecedented pandemic together.

As board president, I was able to attend so many Hokie gatherings and connect with Hokies virtually. This would not have been possible if I had to physically travel

to each area. COVID-19 was difficult, but it made us look at things differently and demonstrated that Hokies show up for each other no matter what.

And even through such challenging circumstances, we grew our alumni engagement and giving. So far, more than 74,500 alumni have engaged with the university in meaningful ways over the course of our Boundless Impact campaign.

As my term comes to an end, I want to encourage you to give back to our alma mater and challenge you to share your reasons for believing that being a Hokie is special.

I often tell people that I never say no to Virginia Tech. There has never been anything that when asked I did not do for our great university. In the spirt of Ut Prosim, I will continue to work tirelessly for the Hokie Nation.

I charge you to do the same. Say yes. There are many ways to be involved, spend time with your local alumni chapter, mentor a student, serve on your reunion committee, or come back to campus for an event.

Thank you to Mark Lawrence, our immediate past president, for your support and guidance. I am excited about all the things that Nathan Lavinka, our next leader, will do for the board.

I hope you will join me in Blacksburg this fall for Homecoming Oct. 15-16 and for the Black Alumni Reunion, April 14-16, 2023.

Go Hokies!

Deseria Creighton Barney ’86, who earned a degree in communications, is a regional director of people development at WayForth and president of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Share this story