Alumni Spotlight: Theo Varona

Arlington Tech Alumni Series

Welcome to the Arlington Tech, Governor’s STEM Academy Alumni Series, where we celebrate the remarkable journeys of our graduates and the lasting impact of the Arlington Tech experience.Through this ongoing series, you’ll meet alumni who are thriving in college and launching careers. Each Q&A highlights how Arlington Tech’s project-based learning, collaborative environment, and supportive community prepared them for success, and what advice they have for students following in their footsteps. At Arlington Tech, our commitment to students doesn’t end at graduation—it’s a lifelong connection. We’re proud to showcase the diverse paths our alumni have taken and the incredible things they’re accomplishing. Their stories reflect the innovation, resilience, and leadership that define the Arlington Tech community.

Theo Varona, Arlington Tech, Governor’s STEM Academy Class of 2023

What have you been up to since graduating from Arlington Tech?

Since graduating from Arlington Tech, I have been spending a lot of my time studying and taking classes in Mechanical Engineering here at Virginia Tech, and was able to join a couple clubs and meet some really cool people. I am currently applying for a minor in Biomedical Engineering as well, since some of the classes that are offered seem really interesting and something that I could see myself enjoying. Aside from that, I was able to work at James Posey Associates last summer, and had a couple really cool experiences with them, foremost being able to go back to Arlington Tech to do a site survey and see the progress being made in-person, as well as a couple night surveys to the Capitol Building, both of which I really enjoyed.

What was a class or project that was most impactful during your time at Arlington Tech?

What I enjoyed most about my time at Arlington Tech was probably how project focused everything was. It was a huge benefit to me personally, as projects and actually trying to apply what I am being taught is how I learn best.

What advise do you have for current high school students?

Some advice for current high school students would be to take as many dual-enrolled or AP classes as you can manage, as it was a huge benefit to me going into college. I was able to bypass all of the less-fun pathway classes, and get right into the classes I actually wanted to take for my major. It also allowed me to focus my studying efforts on classes where I needed to study and review for more, as opposed to having to spend time on assignments and studying classes I didn’t want to take.

How would you describe Arlington Tech in three words?

Three words I would use to describe Arlington Tech would be innovative, diverse, and helpful. Innovative in that very few high schools are project based, diverse for the wide variety of technical electives that were offered, and helpful in that without it and the opportunity to get my Associates, I doubt I would have been able to make as much progress in college without spending a significant amount more of time and effort.