Zdravo (Hi)! My name is Viktorija (pronounced Victoria, just spelled in a very Eastern European way :) ). I’m from Macedonia, where I spent most of my life before deciding to move to the other side of the world to finish high school at UWC Pearson College in Canada. Packing my life into two suitcases and leaving home wasn’t easy, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My UWC experience was full of adventure, risk-taking, and the kind of friendships that stay with you for life. I love trying new things, and UWC gave me space to do just that. I discovered outrigger canoeing (which I now love), started waking up early to paddle in the mornings, went hiking and skiing, and enjoyed pushing myself in different ways.
Before UWC, I spent most of my time in Macedonia pursuing visual arts. I attended an art academy for eight years and participated in several exhibitions, so I’m excited to continue exploring that side of myself at Lewis & Clark too. But at the same time, I’ve always been into science. In high school, I co-founded a startup focused on sustainable technology with five other friends, and we even got to travel a bit because of it. I love natural sciences, but I’m also very curious about philosophy and obsessed with learning new languages. I guess you could say I have the mindset of a scientist with the soul of an artist, which is also why choosing only six IB subjects was so difficult. And now, choosing just one major at Lewis & Clark feels almost impossible! That’s actually one of the main reasons I chose L&C: I love that the liberal arts system encourages exploration and welcomes people who don’t want to be put in a box. Lewis & Clark and its diverse community gave me the impression that college doesn’t have to be about choosing just one thing, but about exploring how to connect academic passions with other interests to create meaningful, real-world impact.
Growing up in Skopje, a busy capital city, I didn’t have much access to nature. But at Pearson, I really learned to appreciate the outdoors, and I’m so excited to continue exploring the Pacific Northwest. I’ve visited several countries in Europe: Greece, Albania, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Austria, and Germany, and now Canada is on that list as well. But I’m especially looking forward to adding Oregon this fall. From experience, I know that traveling is always better in good company, so I’m excited to explore it all with the new friends I’ll be meeting on campus very soon.