Humans of Blacksburg

Humans of Blacksburg is a social media campaign inspired by Humans of New York and Humans of Virginia Tech. The campaign began in December 2017 with the purpose of marketing Blacksburg by showcasing the unique individuals that make up the town. It is truly the friendly faces that make Blacksburg feel like home. Whether you are new to the area, live, work, play, or a study here, you are a Human of Blacksburg. Blacksburg is a welcoming and diverse community, and we want our campaign to illustrate that.

Check out some of our “Humans of Blacksburg” stories below and follow us on our Facebook and Instagram page to get the latest stories from your Blacksburg friends!

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“I think that it’s pretty awesome that I can talk about Virginia Tech and talk to people who have never been to Blacksburg or Virginia Tech before. I can talk about this place in a way that is not just, ‘You’re going to love the food, the academics, and a particular club or organization.’ Instead, I get to talk about the wholeness of the experience, and that wholeness includes Blacksburg. When I hire people to come work here or even when I’m recruiting people, I’m not just trying to showcase the job and the university. I also get to showcase Blacksburg in a way that feels authentic and genuine for me to say with pride, ‘This is a really great place to be able to live and to be able to call home. Whether it’s going to be for three years or 10 to 15 years.’ There’s a reason why three years often can turn into 10 or more years— you just feel like this is a place you are meant to be.”- Byron Hughes, Dean of Students at Virginia Tech⁣ .⁣ .⁣ You can read more of Byron’s story by checking out our Facebook page! Just click the link in the bio.⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #humansofblacksburg #virginiatech #blacksburgva #hokies

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“We moved here from England in 1995. We actually moved to Syracuse where my dad’s from, and my parents moved with us. We decided that we aren’t moving all the way from England and then just staying in the first place that we come to. We bought a Chevy Astro and a tent, we had a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old, and we went to Canada. We did the whole East Coast down to Key West and everywhere in between, camping for three months to find different places. Blacksburg was one of our stops purely because my cousin from Syracuse had moved down here so we came to see him, and we fell in love with the area. He took us around the Hand and Hand Park, Downtown and around the campus. We really liked the area, and it and was halfway between Syracuse and Florida, where most of our relatives lived. We fell in love with McAfee’s Knob and halfway up we said, “We are moving here.” So while we were on that trip we looked at schools and amenities in the area. We finished our 3-month camping trip, and when we got back to Syracuse in December, my cousin called and said that he had a job for Mike. We moved down in January of 1996, in a snow storm.” – Laureen Blakemore, @downtownblacksburg . . . . #humansofblacksburg #stepintoblacksburg #blacksburgva #DBI #downtownblacksburg

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“I actually went to JMU (Go Dukes!), but had an internship at The Blacksburg Partnership the summer before and during my senior year. My then-boyfriend, now-husband is a Hokie and was here in school at the time. I fell in love with the area and enjoyed the familiar sense of a university community, and it was a good fit for me to come to Blacksburg as a new young professional. I’ve always felt very welcomed here, and I hope to help spread that to other newcomers. I’ll always be a Duke at heart, but after living in Blacksburg for over five years and working at Virginia Tech, it’s been fun to pick up a sense of Hokie spirit too.” – Hannah Allen, @innatvirginiatech

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“He [Gus] has definitely got me more into the outdoors. I’m not usually a winter person, but with him, I visited the dog park for the first time yesterday. We’ve been trying to do Huckleberry trail walks to get him out and get out some energy, so that’s a new one for me. What I love most about the area is the small-town feel. The town is also a great melting pot. Not everyone has been born and raised here. Everybody’s looking for new things to do and new friends. It’s a great place to meet people, connect and find your niche.”- Aaron and Gus Harris-Kirby . . . . . . #humansofblacksburg #stepintoblacksburg #pointewestmanagment #pointwestpointer #blacksburg #blacksburgva

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