The Vanguard series highlights cadets of Virginia Military Institute who exemplify promise, perseverance, and the true spirit of leadership. While they may not be the top-ranking students or those in prestigious positions, these individuals' dedication, resilience, and growth embody the essence of being a VMI cadet. By sharing their stories, including the challenges they've faced and overcome, we shine a spotlight on the diverse paths to success at the Institute, proving that leadership and excellence come in many forms. 

LEXINGTON, Va. Feb. 17, 2025 — Scott Streff ’25 was looking for warmer weather in Virginia when he got an offer to play lacrosse at Virginia Military Institute. The international studies major from Minnesota was also looking to commission into the U.S. Army.  

“I came here to play lacrosse. I was recruited out of high school. I'd never been to the state of Virginia before I committed, so I just came here sight unseen, but liked what it seemed like, and it was warm,” he admitted.

Although he’s not on the lacrosse team anymore, he stayed at VMI because the knowledge and experience he is gathering lends itself to his future plans — utilizing his international studies degree inside or outside the Army, like working for the government or private sector.

His first two years at the Institute were lackluster, he stated, making the GPA needed to maintain commissioning status.  

“Over the years, I've realized that my professors are super knowledgeable, especially in international studies,” Streff said. “I think we have some of the best professors, and what they're talking about can help me." 

By his 2nd Class year, he was awarded academic stars, which means a cadet has a cumulative GPA of 3.5, or has earned a yearly GPA of 3.5 for the previous academic year.  

"My dyke, when he was here, said grades are the most important thing. Whatever rank you have is really nice and really cool, but nobody in the real world cares that you were a corporal. They care about your GPA,” he said. “That's what people look at first on a resume. That's a major factor in Army rankings. So [my dyke] kind of drove me. He had the highest GPA in his major, and his roommate had the highest GPA in his major. I just wanted to go off that.” 

He was also inspired to have the lacrosse team GPA be above a 3.2, which he had been below most of his cadetship. Although he’s not on the team anymore, he’s still close to others that are, and they motivate each other to get good marks. Streff is on the Rat Disciplinary Committee, which is responsible for the discipline and conduct of rats throughout the Rat Line. 

Streff has had his share of struggles while at VMI. He admits he doesn’t spell at a high level, which can be challenging as an international studies major — there are a lot of papers to write.  

"My roommates, they put me through a spelling bee, and they figured that I spelled about a fourth-grade level. I had to overcome that,” Streff explained. “I also needed to overcome the time management aspect of VMI. I was wasting a lot of time and putting time into the wrong areas, getting distracted.” 

He found that staying in his room with two monitors hooked up to his computer was a more effective way to study, instead of spending time in academic buildings where more distractions could be presented.  

It also helped finding a passion for international studies. He’s able to minor in Middle Eastern studies, giving him interesting classes to enroll in, which in turn made learning the material easier and fun. 

Salih Yasun, assistant professor in the Department of International Studies and Political Science, describes Streff as a friendly, ambitious student, saying, he’s “in peace with himself.” 

“Intellectually, he is very open to challenging himself. He has the ability to lighten the mood in class whenever he wishes to do so,” Yasun said. “He is the kind of cadet every professor wishes to have in their class.” 

Vera Heuer, professor in the Department of International Studies and Political Science, said Streff is personal, grounded, and doesn’t view education as a commodity. She appreciated his approach to VMI’s expectations.  

"He clearly is motivated to do well in his classes, but he would first try to improve his performance on his own rather than ask the instructor,” she commented. “Even when he turns for help, I always felt that he was very cognizant of not viewing faculty as a service deliverer, but more as a mentor.”

Heuer saw an example of this during Streff’s 3rd Class year in how he was as a peer instructor trying to communicate to other students to put in the effort and come to sessions prepared. She noticed that he’d inform students that if they weren’t prepared, he would be limited in how he could help them. He was essentially interacting with his peers as faculty members do with their students, she said.  

"This shows that he has great social awareness and what makes him a good leader,” she said. "He was very good at balancing corps, athletic, and academic commitments — he was able to finally earn academic stars only after he relieved himself from some of the commitments, like quitting lacrosse. I was really happy to see him finally getting the academic accolades he is so deserving of.” 

As graduation approaches, Streff is excited to serve his country, then hopefully pursue further studies after. He feels his time at VMI has well prepared him for whatever comes.  

“I think VMI matures you ... you have a lot more real-world responsibilities and concerns,” he stated. "I think the priority of VMI cadets is very different than the priority of most college students across the nation. It's a much more competitive environment post-graduation. People care about what jobs you're getting, what opportunities you’re getting, what internships you are getting.” 

Laura Peters Shapiro
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE