For Adnan Barqawi, the greatest honor of this year wasn't his Student Leader of the Year Award, although his friends note that this was well earned.
"In all the years I've been involved as an alumnus, I've never met a man who better embodied the university motto," said friend, mentor and 1971 engineering graduate Pat Artis.
At the top of Barqawi's semester was his swearing in as a United States citizen on April 17 in Roanoke.
"I've been a man without a country, the worst of the worst," Barqawi, of Palestinian origin but who grew up in Kuwait, said. "I look at my time here at Tech and in America as a series of waves; when you're at the bottom, it looks impossible and you can't see past that obstacle."
Barqawi, who previously held the highest student position in the Corps as a Regimental Commander, began the process for American citizenship in May of 2008.
"There are tremendous waits (for citizenship) because of all the people applying," Barqawi said. "I was completely understanding of that but there was a part of me that was disappointed because I wanted to be sworn in while in uniform, before I graduated."
Barqawi's friends thought it was unfair that a man who had so dedicated his life to others' service shouldn't receive some kind of special consideration.
One of those friends is Wayne Campbell, president of the Virginia Tech German Club Alumni Foundation and a local Republican donor.
"Wayne Campbell says to me, 'There's this great friend of mine, Don Huffman, Don was the chairman of the Virginia Republican party,'" Barqawi said. "So he took me up to (his) house and Don - after our first conversation - says, 'Adnan, I want to make you a man with a country, you deserve to be an American citizen.'"
Barqawi said Huffman then contacted his friend and former law partner, Congressman Bob Goodlatte.
Goodlatte, a former immigration lawyer, helped Barqawi expedite the citizenship process.
"After one call from Congressman Goodlatte's office, an 18-month process became an 8-month process - (Huffman) really was a man of his word," Barqawi said.
At Barqawi's swearing-in ceremony in Roanoke, Goodlatte wore an orange and maroon striped tie.
"Adnan, I'm wearing this in your honor," Goodlatte said.
"It was one of the most defining moments I've ever had in my life," Barqawi said. "I think there's no greater feeling than having an allegiance and loyalty to a place, there's no greater feeling than being able to say you're an American."
Barqawi describes himself as an average student, though this isn't how his friends characterize him, stressing the outstanding out-of-class leadership he shows.
"Adnan has incredible demands on his time," Artis said. "He's spending 15 to 20 hours a week in meetings and other leadership functions; he is meeting individually with the newly turned freshman members of the Corps to help them make the transition and find out if they need anything."
Barqawi describes Pat and Nancy Artis as his friends and mentors.
"Adnan will call up Pat once or twice a week for help with the kinds of things you normally need family for," Mrs. Artis said. "He'll ask about things, like how to buy a car or why does insurance cost so much?"
Pat Artis says after meeting Barqawi, they feel like he's a member of his family.
"When I came to Virginia Tech last summer to show around a young man from our community, I asked Gen. Allen if there was someone who could show him around," Pat Artis said. "He said, 'I'll have our Regimental Commander, Adnan Barqawi do it, he's special."
Artis was curious about what Allen meant.
"You'll have to meet him, you'll understand," Allen said.
After meeting with Barqawi, Artis told his wife he wanted to have him over for the Thanksgiving holiday.
"Nancy asked me who this guy was, and I told her, 'You'll have to meet him, he's special,'" Artis said. "I was at the same loss for words."
Artis invited Barqawi out to Canyonlands National Park to see what he calls "real dark."
"When we got out there, and we turned out the lights, and the stars shone so brightly, like grains of Tide scattered on black velvet, he just started laughing," Mr. Artis said. "Deep down, under all that stern leadership and earnestness, he's like a ten-year-old kid."
Artis says this may be why he's so intense.
"He never lost touch with the kindergartner inside," Artis said.
Barqawi said he's looking forward to giving back to his country for all he's gained from it.
"For 17 years in Kuwait, something was pestering me that was out of my control: here in America it doesn't matter who your ancestors are or where you're born," Barqawi said.
After graduation, Barqawi will leave for Houston to train for his assignment teaching elementary school children in the Mississippi Delta region, well-known for it's grinding poverty and low level of high-school graduation.
"Jay Williams, who I met in Japan and who is the campus coordinator for Teach for America told me, 'Adnan I think I have your next job lined up,'" Barqawi said. "This was exactly what I've been training for, to lead and inspire young people who need a hand up with limited resources and limited time - that's what leadership is all about."