The day of The Big Event each year is exciting, it’s fun, it’s when everything comes together. However, it’s not defined by one day, and I want to express thanks to the community and to the organization for teaching me so much throughout the past four years.
In my case and I’d imagine for others as well, I was basically transplanted from one place in Virginia to another when I started school. I came to Virginia Tech to study, and didn’t expect to be able to spend much time off campus freshman year. The Big Event gave me a way to engage with the new place I was living in. With the craziness of more online oriented
classes, and the bubble that campus can seem like, I’ve found a lot of value in having conversations with people within the New River Valley community. I’ve discovered this continual interaction with people I didn’t know to be a never-ending experience to learn and be humbled. I hope that others find it as valuable as I do.
The Big Event has never been limited to meetings or tasks to complete. The values that it has taught me have naturally surfaced in other areas of my life…. they inform my artwork, the other organizations I’ve been involved in, and the types of things I want to do post-graduation. And of course, meeting other students through The Big Event has shown me how inspiring it is to be surrounded by people who value service, leadership, and community.
I am grateful to have found The Big Event as a freshman, and even more so to have been able to continue my involvement until the end of my senior year. Along with my major, it has been the most important part of my college experience. Although Ut Prosim looked different than expected this year, all the preparation was as valuable as if the day of had been able to happen. I hope that homeowners who requested projects and students who signed up to volunteer are excited to jump into it again next year, and I am excited to see The Big Event 2021 happen.
- Genevieve