SERVING IN THE '60s

			Ray Smoot '69, '71

Smoot decided to campaign for the SGA presidency in 1968 with two goals in mind: to increase student involvement in the university governance system and to obtain official university recognition of fraternities and sororities. He became a driving force for the atmosphere of positive change throughout campus, and today's Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life is evidence of his dedication and success.

"Serving as SGA president gave me a sense of being purposefully engaged in advancing Virginia Tech," Smoot says. "It profoundly influenced the course of the rest of my life by virtue of going into university administration. It also reinforced for me a desire to be involved in the community, which I have done since then by serving on the boards of community organizations."

AN '80s PRESIDENT

			Russell Thomas '85 in the 1985 Bugle

Typically more into sports than student government, Thomas "got tired of hearing people talk but do nothing about their concerns. I decided I could do more in the game than on the sidelines," he says about his motivation to join SGA. After serving as an SGA senator, he ran for president and won.

One of his greatest accomplishments during his SGA service was helping to establish a seat on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors for an undergraduate student representative. Today, that position is highly sought after by some of the university's top undergraduate students.

After completing law school and practicing in Tampa, Fla., for nearly a decade, Thomas is now president of a company in Jacksonville, Fla., that helps improve the healthcare delivery system. Thomas says, "I love Virginia Tech. I think a lot of that feeling comes from the fact that I gave back to others while I was there, and I developed a deep loyalty to the university as a consequence of my service."

A '90s LEADER

Just as Smoot and Thomas felt compelled to serve their peers, Missy Byrne Nelson (finance '92) also aspired to make a difference as SGA president.

		Missy Byrne Nelson '92

During Nelson's term, she became involved with the Order of the Gavel and worked to improve the representation of student organizations and colleges. She also fostered friendships among the undergraduate and graduate student bodies.

Like her predecessors, Nelson's position as SGA president offered her an opportunity to get to know university administrators. She credits them with helping her realize her potential and encouraging her to pursue a career in medicine, as well as teaching her the importance of community service. Today, Nelson is a pediatrician in Richmond, Va., and gives her time to numerous boards and councils.

21st-CENTURY PRESIDENTS

Sumeet Bagai was elected SGA president in 2005 and again in 2006. He is one of only two individuals in the university's history to be elected to two consecutive terms. (David Baker served 1987-1989.)

		Sumeet Bagai '07

During his two terms of leadership, student involvement in SGA grew--as did its success. Relay for Life and The Big Event, two SGA-sponsored events, enticed more students to raise money and volunteer their time serving others. In 2005, Bagai was asked by university administrators to represent the SGA in creating and signing the Virginia Tech Principles of Community, a document that affirms the university's commitment to create a welcoming community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members. He has also been actively engaged in Hokies United and leads student efforts in serving those in need within and outside the university community.

Bagai is currently self-employed, a business decision for which he credits the SGA. "I knew as I evolved as an SGA president that I wanted to run my own company. I owe so much of who I am to SGA," he says.

			Brandon Carroll '10

Carroll, whose term as SGA president ends this spring, says he's been humbled by the experience. It has allowed him to realize his calling in life, he says, which is to positively impact the lives of those around him. "Whatever my future holds, ... I know that my experience in SGA will help me."

Throughout the history of SGA, its presidents have become life leaders, and their love of service transcends campus to become a lifelong love of community. As SGA presidents have shown over the decades, the value of SGA involvement at Virginia Tech extends beyond an ordinary college experience, helping these student leaders to become citizens who embody the spirit of Hokie service.