Victoria Wilder
A rising senior, Victoria Wilder is one step closer to fulfilling her dream of attending medical school. From joining campus student organizations to studying abroad in Greece, the Georgia native shares how her experiences helped her discover her true potential.
Interview by Jordan Ferguson
How did you get to where you are now?
I’m a psychology major with a pre-medical focus. After I graduate, I want to go to PA school to become a physician assistant. I’ve moved around Georgia a little bit, but I’ve mainly lived in Columbus, Ga., Sandy Springs, the Atlanta area then Dallas, Ga. I consider Dallas my hometown because that’s where I graduated high school in 2020. After high school, I went to a community college because I just wasn’t sure where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do yet. I didn’t want to go to a big institution and spend all this money or not have a direct path and get distracted. Halfway through that first year, I realized I wanted to go to Georgia State.
No other school in Georgia really flashed to me or, like, popped out to me. I’m not a country girl. I wanted a school that was diverse because I enjoy diversity. I like learning new things and being around different people from different cultures, and Georgia State has that. I’m also a Grady baby. I say that all the time. I was born at Grady. It’s a full circle for me. Whenever I see the Grady Memorial Hospital sign, I feel like it’s just kind of telling me I need to go to Georgia State.
I’m curious about how Georgia State is supporting your psychology studies as you prepare for PA school applications.
Being a psychology major, the university gives us a lot of resources and makes sure that we know a lot of the fields or jobs available in psychology. Unfortunately, many aren’t as high up or better paying with just a bachelor’s, so they emphasize going to grad school, whether that’s a master’s or getting your doctorate. There’s also a lot of space in my degree program, and it gives me the ability to take the electives or the prerequisites for PA school.
You studied abroad over spring break. Can you tell us about your experience?
Last school year, my friend told me about the Free Passport Initiative and I didn’t have a passport but I knew I wanted to go somewhere eventually. When the 2022-23 school year started, I thought, “I already have my passport. Why not just look at the study abroad programs they have?” I went to one of the virtual meetings where they just give you a breakdown of pricing, how to look for a program and how to apply. I met with a study abroad adviser after I applied, and I was very lucky because I knew where I wanted to go: Greece.
After the application, you have an interview with the professors going on the trip. I think I was one of the first people to interview and I was nervous because I really wanted to do it. I wasn’t sure how picky they would be or how prestigious they wanted the students to be. I was one of the first students on the interview list and I got accepted that day. Later, my professor sent me an email saying she had an opportunity for me as an ATLAS (Aspire, Travel, Learn, Achieve, Share) student through the International Education Fee Scholarship, which would provide money for my trip as well. I also received the Elizabeth A. Kenny Scholarship in Psychology, the Eleanor McEdwards International Opportunity Scholarship, the Psychology Grace Study Abroad Scholarship, and the Arts & Sciences Study Abroad Scholarship, which fully funded my trip.
One of the main things that I had to do was to find roommates for the trip. I made a little questionnaire on Google Forms for them to answer questions about what they want to do, and what’s their personality. We had a pre-departure meeting about a week or two before we left, and then halfway through the trip. We’re planning to do a little reunion sometime in July.
How has Georgia State helped you grow into the person you are today?
During my first year here, I wasn’t as active as I should have been, and I realized that as the year was ending, so I wanted to make up for that. I told myself the next year I was going to get on it; I was going to make sure I get the grades that I wanted, meet new people and put myself out there. That’s when I started joining some organizations and meeting new people. That helped me realize I can do so much more. By not comparing myself but just seeing how other people my age are doing, I realized that I definitely could get there, too.
