One Virginia Tech student in the class of 2023 made history Friday as she crossed the stage to get her bachelor’s degree in music from the School of Performing Arts.
At the school’s commencement ceremony, Kay Castagnoli, 85, was the only music major nominated for her academic excellence for the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She was only one of five students selected from the school of performing arts.
“I love learning,” Castagnoli said. “I always loved going to school. I love being on a campus.”
Her academic experience spans decades, starting in Southern California, where she attended the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated with a degree in chemistry. Kay moved with her husband Neal Castagnoli to Blacksburg, Virginia, in 1987.
She became a researcher and teacher in Virginia Tech’s chemistry department and retired some years later. That’s when she returned to the piano.
In 2007, she registered for her first piano class and began a long road to her degree in music. A road that Castagnoli said she blazed with the help of her supportive family.
“When I felt like I was on a slow path or got tired, one of our daughters would always tell me, ‘You can do it, you can do it!’ I’ve been so fortunate. I’ve had good people who helped me along the way, including good teachers and a wonderful husband and family,” Castagnoli said. “It’s quite a life. I’m so blessed.”
Castagnoli’s final recital and degree completion aren’t likely the end of her time as a student — she’s looking to continue building her academic repertoire soon.
“I’m going to finish my degree in Italian next,” Castagnoli said.
