National security leaders tour Virginia Tech talent and technology

Haylee Rogers, an undergraduate student in attendance, said the thought of visiting with the director was intimidating at first, but it quickly became clear Haines placed a high value on spending time with the students.

“At first, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I get to sit in a room with her,’” said Rogers, a senior studying political science. “But she was so humble and so attentive, you could tell that she really wanted to talk with us.”

Michael Mazikin, a junior studying international relations, said he was impressed by the importance Haines seemed to place on building relationships and developing skills of communication.  

“I think it’s really important to be knowledgeable about your subject matter, but successfully working in the government is also a lot about being able to work with people,” said Mazikin, who is also a member of the Corps of Cadets and a Defense Civilian Training Corps scholar. “One of my biggest takeaways was how she emphasized the importance of building connections. She encouraged us to go be social, go talk to people, because that’s the way you’ll find better opportunities.” 

Rogers, who is slated to graduate this semester, said she was very encouraged by Haines’ approach to embracing mistakes as learning opportunities. 

“In the intelligence community and the Department of Defense, the decisions made there are so heavy, it’s a little scary to think about coming in as a new graduate to those spaces,” Rogers said. “So her advice to learn from your mistakes in order to do it better the next time was something that really stuck with me.”

Rogers has been involved with the Hume Center in a variety of capacities during her time at Virginia Tech. She said the organization has consistently impressed her with their workforce development efforts. 

“The Hume Center just keeps one-upping themselves with the professional development opportunities they’ve offered me,” Rogers said. “Honestly, this was one of the best experiences I’ve had at Tech.”