"Let college be the place you try something new."

Introducing Victoria Smiley: SGA Vice President

WORDS: Shannay Porter

PHOTO: Provided

Victoria Smiley is a junior, Elementary Education major who currently serves as the SGA Vice President. She is dedicated to leaving a lasting mark at Clark Atlanta University by cultivating connections with her peers. Since receiving her role, Smiley has worked hard to achieve the goals she has set for herself, all while enhancing the CAU experience for her peers. 

When asked about her goals as SGA Vice President, Smiley stated, “One thing I want to continue is being open to meeting and fostering meaningful relationships with everyone whether I see myself being close friends with them or not. The point is so that my fellow students can know that they can always call on Tori…I want to leave a legacy of love and family deeper than us just saying it.” 

Smiley continued to mention that her efforts to create lasting connections with her peers will continue after she graduates, as she plans to be a valuable resource for current and future CAU students. Her role as SGA Vice President has allowed her to grow each day and has strengthened her in multiple ways. She has yet to face any struggles within her role, and Smiley is blessed to be in her position.

A significant part of Victoria Smiley’s life is her family, and her parents are the two people she looks up to most. “My late father Shawn Antonio Smiley was the epitome of love in everything he did," she said, "Every day I choose to be as dedicated and as amazing as he was. On that same note, I appreciate my best friend, that is my mother, for being that of course but also going the extra mile as a single parent. She’s the reason I’m in the field that I chose. I’ve seen her ‘smiley’ when there wasn’t anything to smile about. She always makes it happen. I could never truly emphasize how grateful I am for her.”

Along with being a dedicated student, Smiley has several goals that she aspires to achieve. Two important goals for her are to become a successful entrepreneur and to experience living outside of Georgia where she grew up.  

Smiley also had plenty of words of encouragement to CAU’s current and future students, “When you walk across that stage you want to be able to look back at your years with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that you allowed yourself to grow during your matriculation," she said. "You don’t want to go through all of these years, spend all of this money and time just to look back and say, ‘Dang, I should’ve gotten more out of my comfort zone,’ or ‘I should have done more while I was in the college bubble.’ The real world holds so much, and I’ve heard it isn’t as nice, so let college be the place you try something new as it definitely equips you for what’s to come.”

Upon her graduation from CAU, Smiley plans to attend graduate school, receive all her certifications within the field of education, and become a published author.