Drive for 25 Blitz

Student-Athlete Development is committed to the holistic support of the career, leadership, and personal development of Hokie student-athletes in order to bridge the gap between athletics and academics and build a foundation for success at Virginia Tech and beyond. We develop today’s champions to become tomorrow’s leaders! 

The Career Game Plan career development plan, a targeted career development program, facilitates Hokie student-athlete's transition to their professional aspirations. 

The Virginia Tech Athletics Leadership Institute, a multi-faceted leadership development program for student-athletes, allows them to thrive as students, leaders, and competitors in preparation to lead and serve society.

Through Personal Development programming, student-athletes learn life skills to be successful during their college career and beyond and live out the UT Prosim motto through community engagement.

YOUR support on Drive for 25 Day will go to the following areas of need:

1. Salary for full-time intern/graduate assistant to assist with leadership, career and personal development programs while gaining experience, exposure, and knowledge of a Power 5 Student-Athlete Development program. 

2. Career Treks for Hokie student-athletes, which provide student-athletes the opportunity to travel to various cities to explore potential careers, network with professionals, and gain insights into what employers are seeking in potential candidates. This summer we completed our first ever Charlotte Sports Industry Trek and look forward to broadening the expose for student-athletes to learn about more industries in a variety of locations locally and nationally. 

3. Support off-campus experiential leadership programs, both domestic and abroad. We have offered a 3-credit study abroad course for seven years and completed our first domestic leadership experience in August 2019. Locations have included the Dominican Republic, Switzerland, Rwanda, and Colorado Springs.

4. Enhance on-campus leadership programs by:

   • Hosting top leadership speakers in the country twice a year.

   • Providing an annual leadership retreat to kickstart student-athletes’ leadership journey with the Leadership Institute.

   • Supporting monthly sessions for select cohort of student-athletes focused on specific leadership topics to provide a holistic experience throughout the academic year.