Dancu ’25: A Transformative Experience

For Sedona Dancu ’25 every part of her VMI experience has been accompanied by a challenge, and with every challenge, a reason to be grateful. A psychology major, a soccer player, and a cadet chaplain, Dancu views her cadetship as a transformative experience—one that would not have been possible without her athletic scholarship. At the Institute, Dancu discovered a sense of purpose, discipline, leadership, and community that has, in her words, made cadetship a blessing.

Matriculating from Matthews, North Carolina, Dancu was first drawn to VMI by the opportunity to play soccer, but after learning more about the Institute and the strength of the VMI alumni network, she realized VMI offered her a unique and more purposeful opportunity that other schools could not. She also appreciated the discipline VMI’s military structure provides. “I loved the physical challenge of it and the structure, and I just thought it would be a different, new opportunity than other schools,” said Dancu.

Dancu’s VMI journey came with immediate adversity; however, that would ultimately build bonds and resilience to thrive as a cadet. Entering the Rat Line fresh out of ACL surgery, Dancu had to complete most of her rat year while healing. “I had to do pretty much everything on the gim, which was really awful,” she said. But her faith, supportive teammates and brother rats, and the constant encouragement of her family carried her through.

Since then, Dancu has grown in many ways, especially in time management, which has enabled her to succeed as a leader, student, and athlete. Her 6 a.m.–9 p.m. schedule as a cadet-athlete is nonstop, and it can get exhausting, but Dancu said she believes being a cadet-athlete is also part of what keeps her going. “It can be very exhausting, but it is also the biggest blessing because I would not be here without my sport … It keeps me motivated to do well in the classroom and keeps me motivated to do well in the military.”

Wearing academic stars, Dancu has excelled in the classroom, too, crediting her success to incredible faculty support and motivated peers. “[Faculty] have supported me in everything,” said Dancu. “They come to our soccer games—they are so involved in our lives, which is amazing.” Dancu even found herself being a better student in college than in high school because of her driven fellow cadets. “You have the motivation around you when other people are studying; you’re like, ‘I guess I’ve got to study, too,’” said Dancu. “Everyone is so smart and so motivated that you’re able to find time to do better in academics.”

VMI has also offered Dancu the chance to lead and live with honor in all aspects of cadetship. She has held rank and led on her team, learning what kind of leader she is along the way. “You learn how you are as a leader, whether you are a vocal leader or more of a silent leader, servant-leader—whatever that looks like. You learn pretty quickly after your [rat year] how that’s supposed to look like.” She also values how the Honor Code impacts every area of life at VMI, giving a special sense of pride in every success. “We can say that we earned everything that we’ve done, not only academically, but in the military, in our sports, and everything; we can say that we have been honorable,” said Dancu.

Amid the daily challenges of VMI, it can be easy for Dancu to compare her experience to that of her three sisters—especially her twin—at traditional colleges. But the comparison ultimately always leads her back to gratitude for the path she chose. “The things that I’ve learned and the things I’ve experienced at VMI, I wouldn’t change for the world,” said Dancu. For her, each new challenge reinforces the unique value of a VMI education. “You question it, and then you want to compare to other people in normal schools, but then you realize the impact of being at VMI and the things that I’ve learned … Just being here, in general, has been the biggest blessing in my life. And I wouldn’t change that.”

All of this would not have been possible without the support of her scholarship, the Hupp Family Athletic Scholarship, which covers more than half of Dancu’s out-of-state tuition. Receiving the scholarship came as a massive relief. “I called my parents immediately, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m on scholarship!’” recalled Dancu. “It’s a huge blessing, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.” Dancu has been able to get to know and thank the Hupp family in person, having connected with them through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where she is a leader. Her gratitude for the scholarship, making her VMI experience possible, stays with Dancu, who says, “[The Hupp family] is the reason I am able to be here.”

With graduation quickly approaching, Dancu says completing cadetship is a bittersweet milestone. “I’m sad that it’s my last year, but I’m also really thrilled to see the opportunities that I can have outside of VMI.” After graduation, Dancu plans to attend graduate school, carrying with her a deep sense of gratitude for the individual VMI has helped her become. “At the end of the day, there is a reason why everyone’s here [at VMI], and there’s a reason that I came here, and I think it has changed my life in all realms of my life. I could not be more blessed for the opportunity,” said Dancu.