When looking at Georgia Tech Campus Services 800-plus student employees, it can be difficult to select only four to be recognized as Student Spotlights for their outstanding work. Victoria Simm, intramural supervisor for the Campus Recreation Center (CRC), can easily be described as one of this semester’s recipients.

Dan Hazlett, assistant director for the CRC, nominated Victoria. Here is part of what he said in his nomination:

“There are many singular descriptors I could add to portray Victoria, but one stands out. Leader. We get many students coming through our doors, and there are quite a few that when they depart we feel a true sense of loss. Victoria is absolutely near the top of that list. She brings more than just the output of work. She brings passion, energy, encouragement, diversity, a sense of community, and so much more. As a leader, she has flawlessly and without prejudice followed the path of our fundamental leadership philosophy: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart. 

“Her contributions to the CRC through competitive sports constantly remind me how wonderful our students are. The supervisor position stresses commitment, passion, resilience, and leadership, and Victoria has demonstrated all of these and more…better than most of those I’ve worked with. So much so that this past fall, when we had an open fulltime coordinator position for the semester, Victoria stepped into the role as a student, and we didn’t miss a beat. With more than 400 intramural teams, 40+ sports clubs, and some camp days throughout the fall semester, Victoria performed as if she had been in the position for years.

“Victoria has also been a CRC Camp Counselor for the CRC Summer Camp during the past two summers. While not the only variable to consider, it says something (as a parent) when you can entrust the wellbeing of your child with someone. Victoria was a fun, engaging, and very responsible counselor for the children of many Georgia Tech faculty/staff.

“Outside of the CRC, Victoria has been a very active member of SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) for many years. I have personally witnessed her persistent mentoring of fellow Hispanic students and assisting with planning various SHPE events, while balancing her commitments to her academics and the competitive sports office.”

And there’s even more to this Student Spotlight. We asked Victoria questions and she answered them:

Position at Campus Services Department

• Intramural Supervisor and Competitive Sports Student Manager

Major

• Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Year in School

• 5th Year (Super Senior)

Hometown

• Stuart, FL

How long have you worked in this position?

• I’ve worked as an intramural supervisor for 3 years and as a student manager for 1 year.

What are your duties in this position?

• As an intramural supervisor, I am responsible for training and developing officials for intramural sports as well as be responsible for operating intramural games (signing in teams, recording scores, providing first aid, etc.).
• As a student manager, I work in the competitive sports office to handle any intramural needs. This includes answering emails regarding intramurals, scheduling games, and coming up with new ways to improve intramural sports.

What do you like best about working in this position?

• I love working in the competitive sports department because it allows me to have fun while working. I enjoy participating and watching sports and understanding all of the background details of it. Working both on and off the field, as a supervisor and a student manager, lets me have the best of both worlds, and the people I work with make it such a great community to be part of.

How has this position helped you?

• This position has helped me really grow into a leader. I’ve gained some valuable transferable skills from this position that I have been able to use in other aspects of my life such as interviews, group projects and in general just connecting with others.

What have you learned through working here?

• Through working in the competitive sports office, I’ve learned how to be patient and handle some tough situations (both on and off the field), and how to use those moments as learning experiences moving forward. With the amount of people that I have had interactions with, it has helped me be more understanding and learn to use others strengths to make the program so great.

Favorite Restaurant/Food?

• Versailles in Miami, Cuban Food

Favorite Spot on Campus?

• In the BioTech quad behind the (what used to be) a coffee shop where it overlooks the track and you can see the whole skyline.

What do you like to do on the weekends?

• I enjoy anything outdoors: playing sports (mainly soccer or volleyball), hiking, walking along the beltline and finding new places to eat.

Who is your favorite professor and why?

• My favorite professor is Ryan Lively. He is such a positive professor and really cares about teaching his students in a not boring way. He has essentially taught more than half of my core classes for ChBE.

What is your favorite class and why?

• My favorite class is Micro/Nano (COE3002). Not only was the professor, Dr. Cressler, one of the best and most enthusiastic professors that I’ve had at Tech, but the class itself has a ton of fundamental concepts about technology and how it came about that just peaked my interest.

Tell us about some organizations you’re involved with on campus.

• Besides working at the CRC, I am involved in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) on campus and have served on their Board of Directors (BOD) for 4 years.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

• My advice is to not be afraid to get involved with whatever interests you because if you truly enjoy something you will make time to do it. Don’t let the workload of Tech have you miss out on some amazing opportunities to join a sports club, take a semester off for working or studying abroad, or join an organization because taking that extra year will make the difference in the experience that Tech can offer and you can meet some amazing people from it.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

• I’ve directed Taste of Latin America (TLA) for SHPE one year and have also participated by dancing Salsa, Merengue and with the Caribbean Student Association for 4 years.

Favorite TV show?

• Brooklyn 99 or Bob’s Burgers

What will you miss most about Tech after graduation?

• I will miss the people the most. Between my coworkers at the CRC to all the friends I made within my major and within SHPE, they’ve truly made my Tech experience the best it could’ve been.

What are your plans after graduation?

• After graduation, I plan to work as an associate engineer for PolyOne in their Engineering Leadership Development Program (ELDP) and will begin my first rotation in Cleveland, Ohio.

Congratulations, Victoria, on all you’ve achieved at Georgia Tech and good luck on your new job at PolyOne and your life in Cleveland. Be sure and visit Georgia Tech and especially the CRC when you are back in Atlanta!