She can dance, give you a tour around campus, and show you a great time! This week’s Campus Celebrity, Victoria Giacalone, does it all. As an ambassador, fundraising chair of the Dance Team, and social media chair for Delta Phi Epsilon, this celeb loves being involved on campus. For Victoria, it’s not only about doing what she loves, but doing it all to the fullest while making sure she makes a difference too.
Starting from a young age, this dancing queen has always held a special place in her heart for dance. Spring semester of her freshmen year, Victoria decided to try out for the Dance Team, an organization where she has met some of her closest friends. Now as a junior, Victoria holds the position as fundraising chair and is very dedicated to her team! Dance is something Victoria loves to do, especially when she wants to get away from the chaotic campus life and schoolwork. Every year the Dance Team qualifies for UDA Nationals in Disney World to compete, and Victoria is more than excited for this year’s national season.
A big part of why Victoria is attending TCNJ is because the Ambassador program helped her form such a love for The College when she first visited. Victoria really wanted to be that person for prospective students as well, and have the chance to show them all that TCNJ has to offer. She is honored to be able to represent The College and have the opportunity to be an Ambassador since her spring semester of her freshmen year. She says, “All the other Ambassadors are some of the most amazing people I have ever met and really have enhanced my college experience so far.”
Drawn to such down to earth and fun girls, Victoria became a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon during the spring semester of her sophomore year. As a junior, she currently holds a position as social media chair for her sorority. She enjoys spending time with her sisters and although they all have different personalities, every girl brings something special to the organization. Victoria is very passionate about one of DPhiE’s philanthropies, ANAD, an association that spreads eating disorder awareness. Being able to spread the message across campus is really important to her.
As if being so involved on campus wasn’t enough, Victoria also interns for Dr. Kay Monkhouse, a speech pathologist. Every week Victoria works with Dr. Kay and her client, a boy with autism. She helps out with all of his sessions, getting a very hands-on experience. She engages the client in activities and provokes vocalizations with him in a positive way because it is difficult for him to express himself. Given the opportunity to be a part of sessions and directly impact the client’s improvement has really touched Victoria and proven to her that this is what she really wants to do for the rest of her life. For Victoria, it’s about making a difference Even the smallest growth is so impactful. She says, “Knowing that the client will be able to go home and respond to his mother, than be distracted is such an amazing feeling.”
Victoria believes communication is the most important thing in life because it is the base of forming relationships with other people. She wants to help those who don’t have the opportunity to communicate verbally, and in the future, specifically work with kids who stutter.
Although speech pathology is not offered at The College as a major anymore, Victoria has declared a self-design major in speech pathology. Last spring, senior audiology self-design major, Jeni Doughan approached Victoria with an idea to bring back a club to campus. National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) was a club that was cut on campus, and both Victoria and Jeni were determined to re-charter the club. Together they have formed what they believe and want the club to accomplish as a whole. NSSLHA is a professional development club for those students at TCNJ who are interested in being speech pathologists or going for further education to be one. Since TCNJ only offers a minor for communication disorders, this club is a way for students to come together and discuss classes and different graduate school requirements to build up for the future of being a speech pathologist. Studetns of NSSLHA support each other and is a great platform for creating and balancing ideas. The club hosted a program last year on assistive communication devices. The program was for the community, open to all. During this event, a woman educated the public on the newest technology that can be used by people with disabilities. NSSLHA is working on planning more programming events where they can reach out to the community and educate the public. Watch out TCNJ, this celeb is out to make a difference!