Extraordinary Opportunity: Victoria Moore

Growing up in Raleigh as the child of an alumna meant Victoria Moore ’22 always had her eye on attending NC State, but it was Prague, Czech Republic, that actually brought her to the Pack.

Moore was offered admission through the university’s Spring Connect program, then in its second year. Through Spring Connect, students enter NC State during the spring semester rather than beginning in the fall, which is the more traditional time for initial enrollment.

Though she was concerned at first that she’d start college behind, Moore attended an orientation with her parents and learned that Spring Connect students had multiple options. She could take the semester off to work, enroll in community college and transfer credits — or join Prague Connect.

“My dad leaned over to me and said, ‘You’re doing that.’ I’d never been overseas,” Moore said. “But I enrolled that night.”

Despite being nearly 5,000 miles from campus, the university’s Prague Institute introduced Moore to the experiences that have defined her time at NC State. She discovered her passion for the humanities, specifically communications, met her future roommate, connected with her fellow students, forged meaningful relationships with her professors and visited six countries.

“I came back to campus with 14 credit hours, so I wasn’t behind at all. I was right on track, and I could jump right into communication,” Moore said.

“Jump right in” is an apt phrase. Moore serves as secretary on the executive board for NC State’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, volunteers with Reading Is Fundamental at local elementary schools, has taught multiple courses at the Wellness and Recreation Center, works as an instructor at the North Carolina Dance Institute and recently began an internship at Largemouth Communications — her third.

“I think of myself as someone who likes to break the doors down, because if I don’t, I won’t find what I’m looking for,” Moore said.

“And then I won’t find access to those opportunities NC State provides. There’s so much to get involved with on this campus — you just really have to dive in and do it, is what I learned.”

Developing a network has helped Moore deepen her involvement and apply concepts outside of the classroom. Through PRSSA, she has discovered opportunities to learn from others, meet like-minded students and connect with local professionals to learn more about what a public relations career can look like.

Mentorship from faculty has also been part of her extracurricular learning. She credits senior lecturer Bob Larson with helping her grow as a public relations professional. “I’ve seen my writing transform, my communication skills transform,” she said. “He’s been such an advocate for me and given me awesome feedback. He’s taught me so much about the industry.”

And no matter what public relations path she takes, there’s one thing Moore already knows: She wants to help people. She originally planned on majoring in human biology but came to realize through her humanities coursework that her goal could take other forms.

“Helping people is also understanding their needs, finding solutions, and, in the case of business and public relations, creating campaigns, getting someone’s brand out there, sharing the word. That can help people everywhere,” she said.

Moore balances her education with seizing new opportunities. As the oldest of three siblings, she works in hopes of becoming as financially independent as possible after graduation and to help her parents with the cost of her tuition — especially with one sister already at NC State and another joining the Wolfpack in the fall.

This semester, the Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (EOSI) has reduced the financial pressure — which doesn’t just make a difference for Moore but for her sisters too.

“It felt amazing getting the scholarship. I think I read the email three times,” she said. “This is a gift. I really think of it as a gift to me and my family.”

Moore hopes that donors understand the day-to-day impact of their generosity. Scholarship support has meant not having to pick up extra shifts at work and being able to focus a bit more on her coursework and professional development — which Moore explains impacts every aspect of her life as a student.

She is honored to be a part of the first group of EOSI awardees, and she hopes future recipients feel the same sense of community support and validation.

“It really does mean the world to me, because all this hard work that I’ve been putting into my coursework, meeting people, networking, serving in the Raleigh community and in the NC State community — it’s all paying off,” Moore said.

“It just goes to show you that your voice is being heard. You are being seen, so keep working, and keep striving for new things.”