Victoria Favela has a 'fire in her belly' to change the world
As she stepped onto the stage, her name, "Victoria Favela," was called out, drawing a large cheer and screams of joy from her family and friends at Arizona State University's graduation ceremony for the class of 2025.
Victoria is a first-generation college student at ASU and scholarship recipient of St. Vincent de Paul’s First-Generation Scholarship Program.
"That scholarship really helped me throughout my four years to be able to afford books and other items like a calculator," says Victoria, who just graduated with a bachelor's degree in business law.
Up on the stage, with her degree in hand, Victoria felt a great sense of accomplishment, not only for herself but for her family and neighborhood community as well.
"I'm the daughter of two Mexican immigrants and my parents always told me 'You need to go to school,'" she says. "I grew up in a low-income neighborhood, so a lot of the time, higher education is something I never thought I would be a part of or ever achieve."
"Everything my parents went through and all the dreams they held continue to live through me," she continues. "Being a first-generation college graduate is something that they always wanted, especially coming to the U.S., and it's something I carry throughout everything that I do."
SVdP's First-Generation Scholarship program helped open a door for Victoria to pursue the higher education that she dreamed of and deserved as a talented, smart and disciplined young woman.
"Victoria embodies our first-generation scholars. She's exceptional. She comes to the table with grit and resilience and a fire in her belly. There is nothing that's going to get in the way of Victoria achieving her dreams," says Andy Romley, a development officer at SVdP who manages the First-generation Scholarship Program. "It's been a privilege for SVdP to walk with her, to watch her grow and mature as a freshman all the way through graduation from ASU."
The program paired Victoria with a mentor, who helped her navigate the higher education system and the unique challenges that a first-generation student faces, particularly when a student comes from humble beginnings and doesn't necessarily have the means for all different types of college expenses nor any family history or familiarity with how college works.
Victoria made the absolute most of the opportunity and college experience her SVdP scholarship helped support.
During her studies, she connected more deeply to SVdP, serving in the Workforce Opportunities Program to help guests on their employment journeys. Victoria also participated in SVdP's Leadership in Action Fellowship Program, which focused her skills and field knowledge on coordinating and collaborating across ASU and SVdP to create a sustainable, free legal clinic for the vulnerable guests of SVdP. The clinic provides them access to free legal services that fit their needs and helps solve the unique legal issues they face.
Victoria calls the free legal clinic the "biggest accomplishment that she's incredibly proud of" during her undergraduate career.
"We can't say enough about her accomplishments, how she's focused, but also, we believe she's a true servant leader," Andy says, "and that is part of what we like to believe the [First-Generation Scholarship] Program helps to create within our student body — servant leaders who want to give back to their community."
"I do want to be a role model for members of my community," Victoria says. "I really want to showcase that it is possible. No matter what obstacles you may face, no matter how intimidating or scary spaces may be, there's always a seat at the table for individuals who come from these communities who may feel like they don't necessarily belong in these places."
Victoria has her future plans and goals already sorted out.
"I want to go to law school to become either a tax attorney or someone who focuses on policy. I'm really interested in the intersection between fiscal policy and how that impacts communities," she says. "Whether I'm an attorney focusing on that field, I do want to be working towards policy and making Phoenix a more equitable place for everyone here."
Without question, Victoria Favela is a shining role model with an amazing future ahead of her. SVdP can't wait to see how she changes the world.
