VCU Student Opens Doors at L'Oréal, Now Helps Others Follow

When Victoria Nguyen couldn't access her high school counselor's recommendation letters, Virginia Commonwealth University became her only option. What felt like a backup plan turned into the perfect fit.

The Northern Virginia native graduated high school at 16 and took a gap year before starting college. Without those crucial recommendation letters, most schools remained out of reach, but VCU welcomed her without them.

Once on campus, the School of Business senior dove headfirst into opportunity. She secured multiple internships, became president of the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity, and joined the Student Management Investment Portfolio team.

Then came the big one: a summer internship at L'Oréal in New York City. These positions typically go to family members of company executives, but a L'Oréal contact saw something special in Nguyen and encouraged her to apply.

She spent her summer working on meaningful projects, including recommending how L'Oréal could expand educational outreach in underrepresented Asian and Hispanic communities. Her mentor, Assistant Vice President Dessirae Sands, trusted her with real impact.

"I learned how to balance strategic thinking with execution, and I got to work on something I genuinely cared about: making the beauty industry more inclusive," Nguyen said.

Why This Inspires

Nguyen's story resonates because she isn't hoarding her success. Dr. Garret Westlake, vice provost in VCU's Office of Innovation and Strategic Design, noticed her hustle on LinkedIn and recruited her as a strategic design fellow.

Now she's organizing a potential site visit to L'Oréal's headquarters that would expose more VCU students to similar opportunities. She's also supporting creative design workshops and connecting students to corporate partners through the innovation office.

"She is a complete hustler and is just out here trying to learn as much as she can from as many different people," Westlake said. He calls her "fluent in all things innovation and an incredible ambassador" for the university.

Through her leadership roles in campus organizations, Nguyen helps the innovation office reach even more students who might not know these opportunities exist. She's building the bridges she wished someone had built for her.

"VCU gave me the space to lead, fail, learn and try again," Nguyen said. "But more than that, it gave me a community and mentors who've been cheering me on every step of the way."

Her message to other students is clear: your plan B might be exactly where you belong.