Victoria would not have described herself as a front-of-the-class person in her time at Villanova College, but she does credit the school's values and its emphasis on personal development for her educational and professional success in the United States.

"The soft skills -- such as greeting someone when they walk into a room -- are invaluable in university and in the workforce," emphasized Victoria.

Victoria began her post-secondary studies in history at York University. She had a goal of law school in her mind and so did her family. In her final year, Victoria's path took a turn, when she began work as a Brand Ambassador and Marketing Specialist for All Saints Fashion. She collaborated in a digital marketing campaign that was "first in North America and third globally." Victoria's work so impressed the corporate office that she was asked to move to Soho. Despite the opportunity, Victoria felt she needed educational background to support such a venture. Facing her own two roads, she declined the job offer and decided to enroll in a post-graduate program in Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Seneca College.

At Seneca, Victoria earned a 4.0 average and the attention of one of her professors who urged her to apply to Boston University's prestigious Master of Science program in Public Relations, "I had never thought of pursuing studies in the United States, but with my instructor's encouragement, I took the chance, and I have had the best experience."

Victoria has always enjoyed sports and, particularly hockey, as her brother, Christian played for the OJHL and the NOJHL. She has been the Marketing and Social Media Director for Christian's start-up CB Hockey Group, Player Development School since 2018. Taking that hustle and moxie that she cultivated with CB Hockey and at All Saints, Victoria approached the coach of the Boston Pride and asked if there was anything she could contribute in terms of social media marketing. Although there were no job openings at the time, Victoria went consistently to the games and used her Instagram and Twitter to produce content. Victoria's persistence and ingenuity paid off, and she has been the Social Media Manager of the Boston Pride and National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) since May 2020. Victoria got to see the Boston Pride earn their second Isobel Cup championship in March 2021, as they skated to a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Whitecaps.

Victoria's work with the Boston Pride and NWHL has allowed her to travel. She just recently returned from a work opportunity in California. Alumni Affairs caught up with Victoria while she was on this business trip. When asked what is most challenging about her work, she replied, "Sports media is still very much a man's world in that there is still the bias that men know more about sports. As well, there are equity issues, and, as a woman, I am always having to show I have a backbone for this environment. A person in this industry also has to be comfortable working in the background and not in the spotlight. I am confident in knowing that my behind-the-scenes work is essential to the operations."

Victoria will continue to parlay her organizational, communication, and public relations skills when she begins her studies at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza Business School. She will be working toward a Master's in Strategic Management. Victoria did not end up pursuing law school, but the road she has traveled since 2012 has made all the difference.

"Taking a risk has opened up many doors for me. I believe the journey is just as important as the destination. You just got to have enough courage to start and enough heart to finish."

Victoria shared her experiences with our current VC students in the Arts and Alternative Pathways Alumni Mentorship seminar.