“I always love talking about my Girls Inc. story,” Victoria said.
Victoria started her Girls Inc. journey in sixth grade and participated in programs like EUREKA!, a summer STEM based program, Sister 2 Sister, a healthy sexuality program where she became a Teen Health Ambassador and delivered comprehensive sex education to peers, and in high school became a Girl Hero Scholar because of her outstanding academic record and involvement in her community.
At a young age, Victoria knew she had a powerful voice and could use her platform to amplify the issues she saw and create change. “Being very young and having a lot of power and not knowing what to do with it was my biggest thing with Girls Inc. I knew I had a platform but I wasn’t sure what to do with it,” she said. Luckily, after a conversation with Bridget Brewer, a Girls Inc. staff member, she began to reflect on how she would use her platform in the future.
“I love talking about that story because she really put a mirror to my face and made me question ‘Is this who I wanted to be?” and if not, then we figured it out,” she said. “I give Girls Inc. a lot of credit because they instilled the strong, smart, and bold values in me,” she said.
Being from Lynn can have many stereotypes attached, but Victoria felt empowered despite people trying to put her into a box. “A lot of people were trying to put us into that box, but Girls Inc. empowered us to know we are great, especially being from Lynn, especially being Black girls from Lynn,” she said.
After graduating from Pingree, she went on to study Public Health at Tufts University and graduated in 2018. Today, she works as a prevention case manager for youth who are experiencing homelessness and at-risk situations as well as working as a research consultant. In her free time, she loves to dance and even hosts Afro-Dance workshops through her “Lit Like Vick” series on her Instagram and Youtube channel.
She appreciates all the guidance, advice, and words of encouragement from staff, mentors, and volunteers during her time at Girls Inc. Her advice to other alums and current girls is to recognize the importance of being intentional.
“Be intentional in everything that you’re doing and know your why. It’s ok if your why is rooted in something you have to do or work through, but being intentional about actions and our words. I believe we are the masters of our own ship and we have the power to reach whatever goal we want, but we can’t get that unless we are intentional about it and truly believe this is for me,” she said.