Victoria Herr

Being a first generation college student, Victoria Herr wasn’t sure how to navigate all the processes that come with starting her college career, but she not only figured it out, she is graduating at the top of her class as Daley College’s valedictorian.

“When I started this process, I didn’t know what a FAFSA was, let alone how to fill it out. But I’m so proud. People shouldn’t turn away from community college – it was an affordable way to find out what I wanted to do as a career.”

From the Transfer Center to the Tutoring Center, to her mentor at One Million Degrees, Victoria used all the resources she had at her disposal to help find her path and help her stay on top of her classes. And it’s paid off – having finished classes in December 2017 with an associate in science, she has already transferred to UIC’s Urban Education Program, and plans to be an elementary school teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. Ideally, she’d like to work in the Brighton Park neighborhood, where she’s from, to be able to give back to her community.

Her advice for new students is simple: “Get comfortable, find your place. Get involved, find out where you can go for help.”