Matthew M. Winston Jr. ‘90, senior associate vice president for alumni relations

What’s happening in Roanoke is transformative.

We know there is power when Hokies gather together. Just look at what we are accomplishing in the Star City. What’s happening in Roanoke is transformative. Virginia Tech is growing the School of Medicine, increasing its undergraduate presence, and making an annual economic impact that will approach $2 billion every decade.

We are growing as an institution in Roanoke, but the story of our impact is also being driven by individuals throughout the Roanoke community. More than 7,400 alumni live in Roanoke. They are an engaged and energetic group.Almost half of those alumni have graduated in the past two decades, including 1,133 in just the past five years.

Almost 3,000 Roanoke Hokies graduated from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, 1,369 are alums of the College of Engineering, and 1,799 hail from the Pamplin College of Business. The graduates from those three colleges account for 80 percent of our alumni in Roanoke.

Our growing Roanoke Valley Alumni Chapter recently held its Second Annual Cornhole Tournament to raise scholarship money for local incoming freshmen. The group also joined 40 chapters across the country volunteering as part of the Big Event. It is the second year in a row the chapter volunteered at Mill Mountain Zoo.

Earlier in the spring, during Virginia Tech’s first Giving Day, the local chapter gave 208 gifts totaling $66,918.65.

University and community leaders had a vision for Roanoke, and members of the Hokie Nation were a meaningful part of seeing that through. The result has been progress for our community and our alumni.

Hokies are transforming Roanoke in so many ways, but alumni everywhere have a role to play in Virginia Tech’s future. Find Hokies in your community and help us tell our story.

Connected: Find Hokies in your community; check out our list of chapters by going to alumni.vt.edu/chapters.

Matthew M. Winston Jr. ’90 is senior associate vice president for alumni relations.