Yesterday John Bailey Needham graduated with his classmates from the Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and the Environment with a degree in meteorology.
Today he graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
It probably goes without saying that we are all profoundly proud of this young man.
He accomplished so much:
Four years in The Marching Virginians.
Four years in Pep Band which included a 2023 trip to the NCAA Final Four with the VT Women's team this year.
He started as a major in computer modeling and data analytics (CMDA) but early on developed an affinity for, a love of, meteorology; he asked us for permission to change his major, which we cheerfully gave. (VT has the top meteorology program in the U.S. according to US News.)
He is still searching for a job but we are confident that he will land something interesting soon. The field really is wide open and he's a talented and motivated young man.
We could not be happier for Bailey and we look forward to seeing what he achieves in coming years, and decades.
There are banners hanging around the VT campus that read “This Is Home.” I think, for John Bailey, Virginia Tech and Blacksburg will always hold a special place in his heart. He is now a Virginia Tech alumni. But he will always be a Hokie.
John P. Needham
May 12, 2023
Blacksburg, VA