Victoria Biggers ’17 has been busy throughout her college career at Wofford College — pursuing majors in finance and economics, working in the college Admission Office, enjoying Greek life as a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, singing in the Goldtones women’s a capella group, participating in Wofford spirit groups such as W.A.R. and the Boneyard, serving as a residence adviser, and starting her own business.
She’s exactly the type of student that South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Inc. was looking for when it decided to name her as the first J. Lacy McLean and Sterling L. Smith SCICU Student of the Year, providing her with a $3,000 scholarship. Biggers, who is from Clover, S.C., was selected by an independent committee from among 20 nominees, one each from the 20 SCICU member colleges. The award, which combined the previous two McLean and Smith scholarships, is for a rising senior who has performed well academically and who has demonstrated a commitment to public affairs, community service and leadership.
“It’s such an honor to receive the first SCICU Student of the Year Award,” Biggers says. “I feel so thankful to the staff, professors and my classmates at Wofford who have pushed me to excel in and outside of the classroom in everything I do.”
From day one at Wofford, Biggers has worked in the Admission Office, giving tours, hosting prospective students, traveling to events, serving on student panels at hospitality and event days, and much more. “I think the best part of the experience, above gaining incredible networking and public speaking skills, has been being able to interact with future students,” she says. “The most valuable thing I’ve learned was that my job was not to ‘sell’ Wofford, but to share my experiences and give the prospective students the information they needed to see whether Wofford was the right place for them.”
Once decision Biggers wasn’t sure of when she first came to Wofford was whether to become involved in Greek life. After hearing differing opinions, she decided to go through recruitment to see for herself. “I’m so glad I did that,” she says. “I met some of the most talented and driven women – in every single sorority. I knew I wanted to ‘Think Theta,’ though. This was the group of women that I most connected with, and they were truly genuine.” The sorority has served as a support system for her, and given her “invaluable” experiences in leadership.
It was Biggers’s experience as a Theta that drove her to create a new green space on campus in memory of a sorority sister she never knew, the late Martha Cammack ’13, who died unexpectedly in October 2013 while visiting Wofford for Homecoming.
As a first-year student, Biggers saw how her sorority sisters grieved the loss. “I had never met Martha, but it was really hard for me to see the rest of the women of Theta grieving so hard from losing their friend. I wanted to be able to support my sisters, but I didn’t know how.”
The more she learned about Cammack, the more Biggers felt compelled to honor her. Biggers raised money for Martha’s Garden, a peaceful space with flowers and benches that students, faculty, staff and visitors can sit and enjoy each other’s company, or simply meditate in its beauty.
As a finance and economics major, Biggers plans to enter the financial services industry after graduation. She feels like the industry will be a great outlet for her creative problem-solving skills. She's learned through numerous internships that it's also a place that fuels her passion for entrepreneurship. Biggers started Wee Celebrations, a children’s party service, through The Space in the Mungo Center. The business garnered her a win in the Impact and Launch Competition, which included a $5,000 prize and co-working space at the Iron Yard entrepreneurship incubator. While the timing didn’t allow her to take advantage of the services of the Iron Yard, she used her winnings to purchase equipment for her parties – speakers, game sets and more. “I have been working with the team at The Space to make my business launch ready. I think there is much to be said for getting out in the real world in industry, gaining a few years of work experience and seeing the nitty gritty of what it takes for a business to succeed. I feel that after this experience, and with the ability to support myself financially, that I would love to go full force into starting my own small business.”
Biggers says she owes many people for her receiving the SCICU Student of the Year Award – “There are so many professors I wish I could recognize for all they do for the college. The professors and staff care so much about the success of each student.”
She notes that the SCICU scholarship “sealed the deal” for her at Wofford, allowing for her senior year of college to be completely paid for. “I cannot thank the SCICU organization enough for this,” she says.
According to Biggers, Wofford is a place that inspires you and supports you to do great things. “That is truly the reason I believe I have been able to accomplish so much," she says. “Things are never done for me or put on my plate in front of me ... I have to work hard toward my goals, but when I put the energy and effort into getting a task done, all of the support I could ever asked for is right at my fingertips. That’s the Wofford Way, and that is what has helped me excel in my time here.”
by Laura Hendrix Corbin, Fall 2016