Early deadlines, recommendation letters, Common App and Coalition— for seniors college applications can seem very overwhelming. Luckily Rockville’s new College and Career Information Coordinator Victoria Wolk is here to help.
This is Wolk’s first year working as a College and Career Coordinator after working in College Access and Success with College Board and College Track for 10 years. She is excited to assist students in the strenuous and complicated application process.
“I’ve always found it as such a fun puzzle,” Wolk said. “I think there is a huge gap in making sure students know their resources that are out there.”
Wolk believes strongly that every student deserves to explore their possibilities for college and career pathways. She is dedicated to serving the Rockville community to ensure that all students receive equitable treatment and support.
“My first thought was that this lady is really cool,” senior Jackson Taylor said. “She ended up helping me decide on how I can do my major and two minors at the same time without being very, very stressed.”
In the College and Career Center, Wolk assists students with questions about college choices, application requirements and advice, financial aid and scholarships, employment opportunities, resume help, and more.
“My favorite part of my job is when anybody comes in saying they don’t know where to start, or they have an interest in something but they don’t know how to turn that interest into a career, and we sit down and start looking at different pathways and see their eyes open up to know that their dream can become a reality,” Wolk said.
Wolk has lived in Montgomery County her whole life, attending Watkins Mill High School. She believes that MCPS is one of the best school districts in the country for academic success because of its numerous resources for college and career readiness. As the county that supported her through her own secondary education, Wolk is determined to assist MCPS students in her career.
“I was lucky that I reached out to teachers when I was in school and they helped me figure out which path I could go on and what my future could look like,” Wolk said.
Wolk attended the University of Massachusetts where she created her own major under an advisor titled professional and creative writing. Her major still exists at UMass today. She also received a master’s degree in youth development from Kansas State University online
“At graduation I had to write up a report that said, yes this was a necessary major, this is what I did with it, and this is what other students can do with it, how it evolved,” she said.
Wolk believes that application-related stress has skyrocketed in recent years, largely due to the increase in college options, increased application costs, and shifts to online systems creating urgency with immediate results.
“Finance is definitely one of my concerns, it’s hard to find a good-priced school because a lot of schools are really expensive now”, senior Claire Blassou said.
Outside of school, Wolk enjoys staying active by running marathons, completing triathlons, and does olympic weightlifting. She participated in marching band in college and enjoys music as well.
“I like to use the example of just as much as I have developed in life and changed my interests into things that I never knew I could be, be open to what you could be as well,” Wolk said.
Wolk already notices an increase in students entering the College and Career Center seeking assistance, and plans to eventually help all students with their applications.
“[The college process] is very stressful and it can seem overwhelming, but if we can turn that around and it can just be the excitement of what your future could be, that’s my goal,” Wolk said. “I want students to be excited about the college process.”
