BLACKSBURG, Va. – The state of Virginia awarded a Blacksburg company $100,000 in COVID-19 recovery funding.
On Thursday, Virginia’s First Lady Pamela Northam paid a visit to Blacksburg to congratulate them.
The Exelaration Center, a software development consulting firm, was awarded the Rebuild VA Grant.
“To see a company like this one that’s not only benefited from the funding, but also is giving back to the community by fostering our young students, working very closely with Virginia Tech, and giving students the ability to get real-world experience is really unique and something that’s very precious to all of us,” said Northam.
The grant program is designed to help small businesses whose normal operations were disrupted by COVID-19.
The money will allow the center to jump from 14 to 25 interns in January, creating a pipeline for Virginia Tech students to get their foot in the door, including senior Meghana Mudunuri.
“We’re going to teach you why the textbook stuff is important, but also teach you how to apply it,” said Mudunuri. “And this is really a big break for most students. A lot of us want internships, but [for] the younger students, like you can’t get an internship without experience, but you need the internship for experience. And this is where a great place to start is.”