Virginia Tech Has My Heart

Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers. It truly means the world.

The alert was lifted around 4:00ish and students were safe to leave buildings. The public school system had gone on lockdown and finally started to release students around 4:30 pm. I did not go into work.

We are all safe & sound now, but still we mourn the loss of one of our loyal, brave and trusted Virginia Tech Police Officers, Deriek Crouse. He leaves behind a wife and five children - please pray for them.
I am so thankful for all the law enforcement on campus today that kept everyone safe, for the University officials who kept everyone safe and informed and for everyone who was sending their wishes.

For those of you unfamiliar with VT or who perhaps have negative/questionable feelings towards us please understand that these events could happen anywhere at anytime.  By no means do these unfortunate incidents define who we are as a University or a student body.

When things like this happen, I naturally go back to 4/16. I was a high school sophomore sitting in English just a mile up the road from campus on that tragic day in 2007. No, I was not in college yet, but I remember every bit of it from our end - waiting for texts and phone calls from our friends and family members on campus, watching the death toll rise and sitting in class wondering 'Is this really happening?'...but the part I remember most? The fact that we didn't give up, crumble or turn our backs on each other. Yes we were heartbroken for a long time, but we stood united as one community and we did prevail, just as we will this time.

I will never, ever regret the day I chose to attend Virginia Tech. It has always been my dream and I can't imagine growing up/going to college anywhere but here. To those of you in high school, please do both of us a favor and, if VT was one of your choices, do not let something like this stand in your way of becoming a Hokie. There is much, much more to being a Hokie than what the media decides to blow up.

I am proud to be a Hokie. Today and every day.

Go hug your parents!
xoxo,