You may know Virginia Tech Recreational Sports for the group exercise classes, the iconic intramural sports champion t-shirts, or for the many other ways we help Hokies move more.  While our programs and promotions take the forefront of what we present on campus, our amazing staff is what makes these events, t-shirts, and classes possible.

This Hokie Feature is all about our Graduate Assistants (GA’s)  that make up the behind the scenes of all that VT Rec Sports offers. We recognize the accomplishments, memories, and hard work of all that these Hokies have achieved in the past two years as they move on to their next chapters. 

Becky Eacho, M.S.

Fitness Graduate Assistant, ACE-GFI, CPT

Becky has served as the Fitness Graduate Assistant for Virginia Tech Rec Sports for the past two years. She received her M.S. in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise and will be pursuing a career within the field. Here’s what Becky had to say about how VT Rec Sports has helped to prepare her to take the next steps in her career.

“I can't imagine having gone anywhere else for my graduate assistantship. I found several mentors at VT Rec Sports who constantly pushed me out of my comfort zone, motivated me to do my best and gave me opportunities to grow as a professional (shout out to Krista Gwilliam, Zak Worrell and Taylor Schiller). The growth I've experienced over the past two years has been tremendous and I now feel more confident as a leader and more prepared to run my own programs and lead my own team.”

Notes from her supervisors:

“You are THE definition of what a graduate assistant should look like! You led with your heart, but reasoned with your head. You provided an incredible example to our student staff members of what it means to be a successful fitness professional. THANK YOU Becky for leaving our program better than it was when you started two years ago!” 

Krista Gwilliam, M.S. - Associate Director of Programs

“Thank you for always giving VT Fitness everything you had.  You've left an enduring fingerprint on VT Recsports and myself, which I cannot thank you enough.”

Zak Worrell, CSCS, TSAC-F - Fitness Coordinator

Becky’s biggest take away from this role:

“Ask questions and ask them often. Don't try to figure it all out on your own, no question is a stupid question. The more questions you ask, the more you learn and the more knowledge you gain.

Mia Stewart, M.S.

Intramurals Graduate Assistant

Mia has served as the Intramurals Graduate Assistant for the past two years. She received her M.S. in Civil Engineering, with a focus in Construction Engineering and Management. Soon she will begin her new role at DPR Construction, in Richmond, Virginia. Here’s what Mia had to say about how VT Rec Sports has helped her to prepare for her next steps.

“Although not directly related, working as the Intramural Sports Graduate Assistant these past two years has definitely helped prepare me for my professional position. As a GA, I oversaw about 300 employees each year. Learning how to effectively communicate and work with these students (who fulfill a variety of roles within our department) helped teach me many invaluable lessons. Additionally, balancing my GA duties with my academic needs helped me increase my personal productivity and maximize my time each day.”

“I have a lot of favorite memories from my time at Virginia Tech, but my top would be our annual fall supervisor training. The past two years the week before school starts, all of our supervisors and professional staff went to an off-site location for a three-day training. During this training we go over our policies, show supervisors how to use all the software programs, and do multiple team-building activities. This is all well and good, but the best part was being able to get to know the supervisors personally before the craziness of the school year took over and we all dove into our first official training of the semester.”

Notes from Mia’s Supervisors:

“From the very moment Mia joined the team, I was inspired by her commitment to our students, her motivation to always better herself, and her team-first attitude.  I learned so much through our professional and personal relationship and for that I am grateful.  Thank you for challenging me and inspiring me, for your work ethic and your attitude, and for always being yourself!  I wish you nothing but the best!”

Jeff Feldhouse - Assistant Director of Intramural Sports

“Your passion for student development and to see others succeed inspired our entire staff to thrive.  Your creative mind combined with your unequaled talent will continue to take the world by storm in your future career.  I will forever cherish our SLAMs. Thank you and good luck!”

Clark Stridsberg - Intramural Sports Coordinator

Mia’s biggest takeaway from this role: 

“My biggest takeaway is the importance of a good work environment. Working in the Intramural Sports department was such a good experience for me and was the highlight of my two years at Virginia Tech. Jeff and Clark were extremely supportive of my goals (both professionally and personally), were always available to answer any questions I had, and listened to my ideas and worked with me on ways to implement them in the program. That being said, neither one of them were afraid to have fun in the office. I cannot count how many jokes and stories we swapped back and forth or the number of Disney songs we listened to. They both did an excellent job of being professional while not losing their personality. I was also fortunate enough to work with another Intramural Sports Graduate Assistant, Avery. Avery and I got along very well and it was so nice working with someone who I knew always had my back. The work environment that I experienced during my time in the Intramural Sports department these past two years became a fundamental aspect of my job search for a post-grad professional position. While interviewing with companies, there were a few that I ruled out almost immediately due to the fact that I knew it wouldn't be the supportive, inclusive, and fun-loving environment that I want to work in.”

Reggie Radaj

Marketing and Social Media Graduate Assistant

Reggie served as the Marketing and Social Media Graduate Assistant for Virginia Tech Rec Sports for the past two years. He will be earning his Master of Arts in Communications.

Here is what Reggie had to say about how VT Rec Sports helped him to prepare for his next steps. “My next step is sports marketing! Although sports aren’t really a thing right now, I’m hoping to break into sports sponsorships within a major sports league.”

A note from Reggie’s Supervisor:

“Reggie will be deeply missed as an unsung hero and behind-the-camera MVP for our department. He was always down to do whatever was asked of him, always had a smile on his face, and brightened everyone’s day through his outlook on life. He brought an innovative and fun brand voice to our social media – so if you’ve ever smashed the “like” button on a post of ours, Reggie is to thank for your enjoyment. Reggie – You will do great things in this world wherever you decide to leave your mark. We love you and we’re rooting for you!”

Will Trent, M.S. - Interim Associate Director of Admin Services

One of Reggie’s favorite creative projects was the Virginia Tech Rec Sports’ Standard of Clean video, available for viewing here.

“I loved being able to work on the “Virginia Tech Rec Sports’ Standard of Clean” video project because I was able to learn a lot of valuable skills from great minds around me, and I was able to use what I learned to help highlight some of the incredible work that was and is being done by our Rec Sports staff to make sure that the Virginia Tech Community can safety take part in the #HokieMovement.”

Reggie’s Biggest takeaway from this role: 

“My biggest takeaway from this role is that learning never stops! You can always improve and you can always push yourself to places you’ve never been before.”