Student Ambassadors

Sierra Back
Sierra Back is from Staunton, Virginia, and is interested/ focused in land development. Outside of engineering, she enjoys hunting, riding horses, and spending time with friends. After graduation, Sierra hopes to work as a project engineer while working towards her PE license and eventually become a project manager. Her favorite part about being a Hokie is the strong sense of community!

Kaleb Bigham
Kaleb Bigham is a rising senior from Charlotte, NC. Outside of class, he is a member of the VT Steel Bridge design team, Virginia Tech BCM, and ASCE. Off campus, he enjoys getting overinvested in Hokie sports, hiking, playing volleyball and tennis, and being a true North Carolinian by going to Cookout more than a healthy amount. He currently has an interest in Land Development while remaining open to exploring other areas of civil engineering. After he graduates, he plans to pursue his professional engineer license and possibly a master's degree. His favorite part of being a Hokie is the strong sense of community that makes Virginia Tech feel like home anywhere you go. 

Seth Boggs
Seth Boggs is from Pound, Virginia. It's a small town in Southwest Virginia with a population of about 800. He loves the peace that comes from living in such a small town, and his family has lived there for over 100 years, so he plans to return after he graduates. In his free time, he enjoys spending time outdoors or tinkering in his workshop on whatever project has caught his interest. Seth is most interested in Land Development and Water Resources. He enjoys both in particular because they allow him to improve and serve his local community. His favorite part about Virginia Tech has been meeting new people and experiencing life in a new place. After graduation, Seth plans to have already passed the FE exam and begin working as an EIT at Thompson & Litton in Wise, Virginia. Thompson & Litton is a local engineering firm where he has interned since 2022. During that time, he has been fortunate to build strong relationships with his coworkers and learn a great deal about the civil engineering field. Seth hopes to continue building his career in that same office after graduation.

Ben Coker
Ben Coker is from Richmond, Virginia. He is most interested in land development engineering and has enjoyed getting to work in the industry during his summer internships. After graduation he plans on working for a civil engineering design firm and pursuing my PE license. Outside of the classroom, Ben is a proud member of the Corps of Cadets and ASCE. He also enjoys rec sports, running, and playing the guitar. Some of his favorite Hokie memories so far have been making the tunnel on the football field for Enter Sandman and seeing Metallica perform in Lane Stadium. He is also looking forward to being part of the international Hokie community as he studies abroad at the VT Steger Center in Switzerland this fall!

Mackenzie Craig
Mackenzie Craig is from Fairfax, VA and has a strong interest in structural engineering. After graduation, she plans to pursue a master's degree in the discipline, earn her PE license, and design innovative, sustainable infrastructure that positively impacts communities. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys swimming, watching sunsets, and hiking. She is an active leader and member within the ASC Heavy Civil Competition Team, Zeta Tau Alpha, Blacksburg Special Olympics, and the Club Swim Team. Coming from a large Hokie family, her favorite part about Virginia Tech is the strong sense of belonging fostered by its people, campus, and overall atmosphere.

Rachel Haile
Rachel Haile is a fourth generation Hokie from Mechanicsville, VA with interests in water resources and sustainable development. Outside of classes she enjoys the Virginia Tech Survey Team and ASCE. She’s also involved in Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Block and Bridle, and Swine Club. After graduation, she plans to obtain her P.E. and serve the greater Richmond area. Of all the wonderful parts of being a Hokie, her favorite is building lifelong friendships.

Alex Helems
Alex Helems is from Salem, Virginia. Alex is primarily interested in land development, but also really enjoys hydrology and stormwater management practices. In addition, he is pursuing a minor in Pathways to Sustainability. After graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in land development and use the knowledge gained through his minor, along with my other interests, to help guide engineering decisions. Outside of class, Alex enjoys teaching himself how to cook, going to the gym, and participating in intramural sports leagues. One of the things he loves most about Virginia Tech is the passion students and professors have for helping one another and sharing their experiences.

Connor Herr
Connor Herr is from Ocean City, Maryland. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and exploring his interests in construction management and land development. Outside of class, he serves as the Engineers’ Ball Chair for the Student Engineers’ Council and as Vice President of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, watching football and baseball, and going to the beach. While he’s still figuring out exactly what he wants to do after graduation, he’s excited to gain more experience, explore different paths within civil engineering, and find where he can make the biggest impact. His favorite part about being a Hokie is the strong sense of community and pride that brings students together—especially on game days.

Andrew Kahwajy
Andrew Kahwajy is from Frederick, MD. He is a junior in civil engineering and is currently focused on exploring the transportation discipline. He chose civil engineering for the opportunity to improve the efficiency and quality of our lives in the built environment. Outside of class, he enjoys skiing, swimming, biking, and hiking. After graduation, he aspires to enter the field of traffic engineering and work toward obtaining his PE license. His favorite part of being a Hokie is the web of support that reaches across generations. He is a third-generation Hokie! As a CEE Ambassador, he looks forward to welcoming the newest members of Hokie Nation.

Madison Kay
Madison Kay is from Virginia Beach. Her interests within CEE lean more towards water resources/environmental engineering, but she is also interested in structural engineering! She is pursuing minors in computer science and Russian and is a tutor as well as a design lead for our concrete canoe team. Outside of class Madison enjoys reading, hiking, and playing the guitar or piano. After graduation she hopes to obtain a PE license and masters degree, while working in the environmental/water resources engineering sector. Her favorite part about being a Hokie is our sense of community and school spirit!

Annabell (Annie) Koehler
Annie Koehler is from Alexandria, Virginia. Within Civil she is most interested in Transportation. After she graduates, she wants to work on traffic signal optimization or roadway design while working towards her PE license. Annie is a member of the Concrete Canoe team and ITE student chapter. In her free time, she loves to paint and solve puzzles. Her favorite part about being a Hokie is the community!

Nathan Lam
Nathan Lam is from Syosset, New York and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a focus in structural engineering. He serves on the publicity committee for the Student Engineers’ Council and has been publicity chair for the American Society of Civil Engineers for the past two years. Outside of class, Nathan enjoys sketching and watching movies. After graduation, he plans to earn his PE license and pursue a career repairing city infrastructure. His favorite part about being a Hokie is autumn in Blacksburg.

Jessica Li
Jessica is from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. She is currently a senior with an interest in land development. After graduation, she plans to continue her education through Virginia Tech's accelerated master's program. Outside of academics, Jessica enjoys running, reading, and spending time with friends. Her favorite part about being a Hokie is all of the amazing people she has met at Virginia Tech.

Natalie Pham
Natalie Pham is from Roanoke, VA. She is currently interested in land development and water resources engineering. In her free time, she enjoys baking, thrifting, playing piano, traveling, and makeup. Outside of school, she is part of SWE, SLDC, Alpha Omega Epsilon, and hopes to join the Sustainable Solutions Competition team. After graduation, Natalie plans to pursue her PE and work in land use to help design safe and sustainable infrastructure for various communities. Her favorite part of being a Hokie is the school spirit! She loves the comradery and passion of her fellow Hokies. She can’t wait to meet new Hokies and show them what Virginia Tech has to offer.

Musa Qadri
Musa Qadri (he/him) is planning to graduate in the Spring of 2027 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and a Minor in Arabic. Coming from a military family, he has always been moving around making it difficult to pinpoint where he’s from. However, for the past 10 years he has been living in Woodbridge, Virginia and learned to call it home. He transferred to Virginia Tech in the Spring of 2025 after receiving an Associate's Degree in Engineering from Northern Virginia Community College. What drew him towards civil engineering was the desire to try and connect communities and make it easier for people to interact with each other. The disciplines that he is currently most interested in are transportation and land development because he feels that these two would help him pursue this desire of large-scale connection. In Musa’s time at Virginia Tech, he has had to find ways to enjoy time away from academics. The Cultural and Community Centers have been one of the places where he has been able to relax and meet many friends. Musa has also joined a few clubs that allow him to just hang out and get to know new people.

Weslie Rosenberg
Weslie Rosenberg is from Richmond, Virginia. She plans to focus on structural engineering, but is also minoring in green engineering. Outside of classes she enjoys hiking, running, hanging with friends, and just being outdoors. After graduation, Weslie plans on getting her masters in structural engineering and eventually doing work in the transportation field, all working up to getting her PE license. Her favorite part of being a Hokie is the strong sense of community, especially on Hokie game days!.

Emily Sandt
Emily Sandt is from Ocean City, MD. Outside of class, she enjoys staying active on campus through organizations like the Student Engineers’ Council, the Society of Women Engineers, Dean’s Team, ASCE, and now, as a CEE Ambassador! She also loves painting, cheering on the Hokies in football, softball, and basketball, and rewatching her favorite sitcoms. Within CEE, she hasn't quite decided which path is the best fit for her yet, but she’s especially interested in construction management, land development, and transportation. After graduation, she aspires to obtain her PE license and lead meaningful local projects as a project manager, helping to shape and strengthen her future community. Her favorite part about being a Hokie is the pride and passion that come with it. She loves running into fellow Hokies outside of Blacksburg and instantly bonding over our shared experiences.

Shaun Saunders
Shaun Saunders is from Syracuse, NY, and is planning to focus in structural engineering. Outside of the classroom, Shaun is a member of the Marching Virginians, who perform during halftime at every home football game. Additionally, he is part of the Theme Park Engineering and Design (TPED) club, where he works with a group of skilled students to compete in various design competitions within the themed entertainment industry. After graduation, Shaun plans to pursue his dream job in the themed entertainment industry. His favorite part of being a Hokie is the amazing people and school spirit that make this place so special!

Grace Sivigny
Grace Sivigny is from Westminster, Maryland. She is currently exploring the civil engineering disciplines, but is especially interested in structural engineering and construction management. Outside of class, Grace enjoys hiking, cooking, listening to music, spending time with friends, and watersports. She is active on campus through the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and her sorority, Pi Beta Phi. A fun fact about her is that she is minoring in Spanish. Her favorite part about being a Hokie is the amazing school spirit and strong sense of community that brings everyone together.