Alumni Newsletter Fall 2021

Class of 2021: Joshua Del Rosario Finds Success Through Service

For senior Joshua Del Rosario, a commitment to service has driven him to get involved extensively within his community at Virginia Tech. He is the 2021 recipient of the Pamplin College of Business Service Award because of his impactful community involvement that exemplifies Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). The Pamplin Service Award seeks to honor senior students who demonstrate extraordinary service in Pamplin programs and activities. “Receiving this award means a lot because it shows that the dedica- tion and hard work I put in didn’t go unnoticed,” Del Rosario said. “It’s cool to see how serving in your Pamplin community can go a long way, and the fact that Pamplin has an award based on service shows how important Ut Prosim is at Tech.” Del Rosario found a home in Pamplin as an undergraduate. There, he filled his record with valuable teamwork and leadership experi- ences due to his determination to be a part of the Pamplin Hokie community from day one. One of the first organizations he joined was the Pamplin Under- graduate Mentoring Program (PUMP). The mission of PUMP is to provide support to students with their transition into and through college by connecting them with resources to help them develop academically, personally, and professionally in the classroom and their careers. “As a freshman, I wanted to make sure I got involved in Pamplin. I didn’t know where to start, but they had so many opportunities right off the bat,” Del Rosario said. “I joined PUMP as a mentee, and my mentor was awesome. He gave such great advice and guid- ance that I made sure to become a mentor myself.” He credits his PUMP mentor for helping him get his foot in the door with KPMG, where he will begin work as an audit associate after graduating in May. Del Rosario continued to guide four men- tees his sophomore year and nine mentees his junior year, instilling the same drive for service in all of them. One of his favorite roles was as the vice president of hospitality for the Pamplin Leadership Development Team (PLDT). In that role, he helped plan the Annual Student Leadership Conference for Pamplin students and saw the hard work come to life. “Being able to be a part of an organization that helps students foster their leadership skills was really rewarding,” Del Rosario said about PLDT. “Seeing the final product was incredibly fulfilling.” A double major in accounting and finance, he also joined Virginia Tech’s Accounting Society his freshman year. He found that he en- joyed helping people within his major network and encouraged his fellow students to put themselves out there.

Joshua Del Rosario

“I liked how the Accounting Society was a more intimate setting for students to meet employers,” Del Rosario said. “I wanted to get involved more so I served as the vice president sophomore year. Junior year, I served as the president.” In addition to his active roles in Pamplin organizations, Del Rosa- rio is also a part of his campus ministry, NLCF. “In high school, I served in my local church. I wanted to make sure that continued when I got to Tech, so I played in the music minis- try at NLCF. I’ve been a part of that for about two years now.” A common theme across his extracurricular activities was his de- sire to encourage and help peers navigate through college. With an excellent track record of volunteer and organizational activities, Del Rosario was able to develop and hone the leadership skills he needed to succeed. “I could tell that he cared about his education,” said Jason Sharp, assistant professor of practice in accounting and information sys- tems and one of Del Rosario’s biggest supporters. “He even helped me out a few times by volunteering to sit on some student panels with one of the publishers.” Sharp continued, “Joshua is someone that truly embodies the Ut Prosim motto at Virginia Tech, and he is well on his way to being a highly respected professional out in the business world.” As well as beginning his career with KPMG, Del Rosario plans to pass the CPA exam to receive his professional accounting certifica- tion. In the future, he stated that he intends to be more involved with his church and reprise his role as a youth leader outside of work. The biggest lesson he took away from his undergraduate experi- ence is to jump headfirst at opportunities that are presented. “It never hurts to put yourself out there and to try new things. Your greatest learning experiences are a result of getting out of your comfort zone. I’m an introvert at heart, so I never imagined myself being involved in this many organizations,” Del Rosario explained. “But if I never attended those first meetings or went out of my way to talk to people, I would’ve missed out on so many valuable expe-

riences and opportunities.” Written by Virginia Nguyen

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