‘Grab every opportunity’

A Danish citizen, Victoria Larsen is a freshman studying Communication and Rhetorical Studies in the college of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University. Having earned the Success Scholarship and shortlisted onto the College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean’s List, she is planning on taking a minor in Real Estate at the Whitman School of Management. She hopes to get into the media and marketing industry.

A campus ambassador in ‘The Women’s Network’ organisation, which strives to connect women in the business world, Victoria also enjoys playing tennis, modelling and video editing. On her bucket list is a trip in Denmark "to learn more about my own culture and routes".

Excerpts from an interview:

My interest in communication and media began when I joined the External Relations Committee in 10th grade. I was a part of the marketing team, and my job was to advertise and brand my school so that we could develop its digital presence. This experience made me realise how much I loved communication. It made me realise that I wanted to pursue a career in it. From there, I started doing internships at Diva Modelling and Events, Illum (Copenhagen), and IEDEA to expand my knowledge of media and communication.

I felt that the Communication and Rhetorical Studies major was perfect for me because I could go into multiple career paths such as media, business, politics, and law. The CRS major is versatile because the internship opportunities are vast. It also allows you to explore different fields.

I started by creating a word document listing all universities that I wanted to apply to and the number of essays each university required. It also had all of my extracurriculars, internships, and grades from the previous four years. This really helped keep me organised and gave me extra time to focus on writing my Personal Statement.

The mentorship I received was very hands-on. My mentor at Hale, Nermeen, gave me a lot of great advice when it came to my academics and helped me tune my personal statement. She helped me practice for my university interviews; it really improved my speaking skills. I felt stress-free and organised with the mentoring that I received. I feel that I couldn’t have done it without the help of Hale.

When I first arrived at Syracuse, I was nervous because I didn’t know if I would be able to make any good friends. I went to one of the international initiation events and met a girl who was also an incoming freshman. We had a great conversation and ended up going to the mall together. Later that week, we found out that we lived in the same residence hall. After a while, we ended up becoming close friends and have planned to be roommates for next year.

I’ve always been interested and curious when it comes to real estate and property management. Since I was in middle school, I’ve always wanted to handle properties and gain assets. Whilst having a career in media and communication, I would also love to do real estate on the side. This would really help my career because it is an extra source of income, and it is a very flexible job.

Do not give up when things get tough. Always keep a positive mind. Lastly, grab every opportunity you get. Whether it is an internship or a university event, make sure to go for it so that you can continue learning and growing.

To learn more, visit haleeducation.com.