The College Debates and Discourse Program at Virginia Military Institute continued its development throughout the fall semester, beginning with a partnership with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the national College Debates and Discourse Alliance.

Becoming one of the co-captains of Virginia Military Institute’s men’s soccer team, Colin Blandford ’26 didn’t expect to carry so much weight. It was a stark contrast to him serving as captain in high school.  

Business and computer science were two industries that Warner Collier ’24 saw opportunity in. Coming to Virginia Military Institute, he wanted to cast as wide of a net as possible, which brought him to major in economics and business, with minors in computer science and cybersecurity.

Gaining real world experience was a high priority while attending college for James ‘Alex’ Baber V ’25. The economics and business major from Richmond, Virginia, landed an internship at Tandem Investment Advisors, headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, for the summer. 

“Having my brother here was definitely a perk,” Matthew said. “It was nice to know where I'm going to go, I already have a guaranteed friend. We were best friends growing up.” 

Ty Swaim '24 based his decision on attending VMI for the opportunity to play baseball, the trust he had with the coaching staff, and the expectations they had for him.

Noland Griffith ’24, a Virginia Military Institute cadet majoring in economics and business, presented his honors thesis, “An Exploratory Analysis of Crime From Randomly Selected Neighborhoods in Richmond.” He said there are different aspects of crime that affect life in Richmond neighborhoods.

Leadership and regiment have been ingrained into Kyle Webster ’24 since beginning his time at Virginia Military Institute. In his last semester, he perfected the balance of academics and athletics. Although, he admits it was challenging. 

The Institute has launched a two-year pilot program called the Summer Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program (SUEP) as a starting point for entrepreneurship education. It has been established for cadets who possess the mindset of an entrepreneur, regardless of academic major.

The cadet regimen has worked out for Tyler Mousaw '24. Plus, being a D1 athlete on VMI’s wrestling team has enabled him to find ways to balance everything.