First class to graduate from VTC School of Medicine since reconciliation with Virginia Tech

History will be made Saturday at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. This will be the first class to graduate as official Hokies.

37 students are planned to walk amid the ceremony, which starts at 9 a.m. at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke.

Prior this spring 100 percent of the class coordinated into residency programs.

This is the school’s sixth graduating class and first since the school authoritatively coordinated into Virginia Tech the previous summer.

“President Sands is going to be here at the graduation. He’s going to make a few remarks. Students, they’ve been unofficially Hokies all along, but they will officially be Hokies this year so I think it’s kind of a cool thing,” said Dr. Aubrey Knight, the school’s Senior Dean for Student Affairs.

The initiation speaker will be Nancy Agee, president and CEO of Carilion Clinic.

“I’m very excited. It’s been a very quick four years,” said Sahal Thahir, who will be graduating Saturday after getting his undergraduate degree in Blacksburg at Virginia Tech. “It’s been an incredible experience in Roanoke. I think we’ve all really enjoyed it there.”

“Southwest Virginia has its charm and it’s definitely been doing a lot of things in terms of trying to improve and it’s been great to be a part of that,” Thahir included.

Knight complimented the class.

“They are an incredibly bright and ambitious group of students who have excelled and are going to amazing residency programs,” Knight said. “I look forward in the future to hearing about some of the great things they’re going to do as physicians.”

VTC School of Medicine authorities said the school is investigating the potential for development.