Victoria Dickens
Meet Victoria
My name is Victoria Dickens, and I was born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I grew up in the suburbs of Biloxi while attending small-town d'Iberville High School. I graduated with high honors in 2017 and started attending Millsaps Honors College the same year.
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Being a self-sufficient student, when Covid-19 began, it took me out of work and school. With an impromptu gap year, I focused on what was important to me and gained a vision for my future. After saving to reenter school and transfer, in July of 2021, I moved to South Carolina and applied for Clemson University.
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I started attending Clemson University in January of 2022 where I started education for my passion - Japanese - and my determination for success - International Business. I am planning to study abroad within 2024 and return in 2025 to graduate in May 2025 with my Bachelor of Arts in Japanese Language and International Business.
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What makes me - "me"
Personality: Always busy and can't stand still. I have a great memory (with a specialty in knowing all the song lyrics). Goofy and love to let loose and have fun. Logical decision-making and enjoys deep conversations. Detail - orientated and perfectionist. Definitely an Aquarius.
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Why Japanese?: Growing up in on the Gulf Coast there is a large seafood industry and I grew up with childhood friends who were Vietnamese, Chinese, and/or deeply into East Asian pop culture. Being introduced to Japanese media (movies, tv, & music) through my friends, I fell deeply in love with the art and the stories many of the Japanese authors had to tell. As I got older, I started to look further into Japanese culture, literature, and language. I grew attached as I further used Japanese media as an escape and dreamed to be fluent in such beautiful language and travel the world to explore Japan. As I grew up, I never believed I would ever leave my home state and thought it be crazy - impossible even - to ever leave the country, let alone visit Japan. It is amazing to be able to achieve this and to experience a literal dream come true.
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Little bit of history: I survived Hurricane Katrina at 6 years old as my family and I lost everything. This experience taught me a lot as a child and made me grow up quickly. While I am the oldest child out of 11, I am the only child of both my parents (all my siblings are half-siblings) and due to being so much older in age gap, ended up taking care of my sibling I lived with or my other siblings when visiting my father. This taught me a lot about reliability and responsibilities. I have always been a child of "finding my place in life" as I have tried so many sports and activities throughout my school life. I grew up playing sports such as softball, track, pole-vaulting, soccer, tennis, roller skating, and in high school participated in many clubs/organizations like broadcasting, drama, swim team, marching/symphonic band, national honor society, and even volunteered at my local library. These experiences helped cultivate different skills and perspective as I grew. When I entered Millsaps college, I continued to remain just as active participating in my sorority, Delta Delta Delta and held leadership positions such as Vice President of Public Relations, and later, Vice President of Membership. Once I reentered University at Clemson, I found myself invigorated to pursue my degree and decided to set my focus there. With a multitude of hobbies and interests, I like to keep life interesting and take on new challenges. I never know what will happen next, but I know it'll be worth the adventure!
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Find out more on my Outreach Page!
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