Ut Prosim or “That I May Serve”— while these words may not mean much to the average person, to a Virginia Tech student, these phrases sum up what it truly means to be a Hokie. A member of our very own Her Campus chapter has decided to run for homecoming queen this year, and sat down to talk with me about her own hand in helping to stop hunger, as she partners with Feeding America Southwest Virginia this homecoming season.
Q: Who was your inspiration for running for homecoming this year?
A: No one really influenced my decision, it all just sort of fell into place. I heard about the call to apply, and I decided to attend an interest meeting. It just hit me that I had this strong cause that I could help make a difference on this campus with, and it was close to my heart and home. Since we decided to relaunch Her Campus, we’ve been trying to get on the mainstream of things, and it was the perfect sponsoring organization for my campaign. Any time you have the opportunity to boost awareness of an issue, especially something local, you should take the opportunity — and that’s what I did!
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about why you chose Feeding America Southwest Virginia?
A: I chose this organization because in my household, food insecurity in this region has always been something we were aware of. I’m from Roanoke, and my mother belongs to the board of directors of the organization. When I was little, I would tag along with my mother for a lot of the events and help volunteer for some things. At a young age, I didn’t really understand the dynamics of the cause, but now that I’m older I’ve really gotten a better grasp of just how much being hungry dictates everything in your life because there’s no way to control it.
Q: What has been your favorite part of the homecoming experience?
A: The whole experience has been great — I’m a person who loves festivities, and it’s also created so many networking opportunities for me. I’m so glad that homecoming switched over to being more than just a popularity contest, because the more I’ve been able to dive into my cause, the more meaningful it has become. It’s definitely something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Q: What is some advice you have to offer anyone considering to run for homecoming in the future?
A: It’s a lengthy process, but it’s really rewarding. You will put in a lot of work, but if you delegate as much as possible and try to be proactive, you’ll have lots of fun with it. Start early, because some of the workload can be overwhelming at times. Most of all, just have a platform that you are personally passionate about, because if it’s real it will be easy to tell.
Above all, Lynch is looking forward to an excellent homecoming week filled with more opportunities to have fun and work hard with the members of Her Campus. Kaley Roshitsh, editor of Virginia Tech’s Her Campus chapter, had nothing but nice things to say about her friend’s campaign. “Scottie has the dedication, determination and passion towards our immediate community and for the greater good of alleviating rural food insecurity. She is poised and always willing to assist,” Roshitsh said. I know I speak for all the members here at Her Campus when I say how excited we are to support such a strong and passionate candidate, and we hope to see her win.
Keep an eye out for Scottie and all the other candidate’s booths this week, and I wish everyone a happy homecoming!