News
A minority valedictorian is an historical first for Voorhees
April 28, 2009
Voorhees College will graduate its first minority valedictorian in the institution’s 112-year history on May 9 at 11 a.m. in the Leonard E. Dawson Health and Human Resources Center.Victorita Paun, a 22-year-old native of Bucharest, Romania, maintained a 4.0 grade point average since her freshmen year. Paun, who was also accepted at other institutions, such as La Roche College and the University of Dayton, said her experiences at Voorhees were life changing.
“I cannot begin to explain how much growth Voorhees facilitated in my life,” Paun said. “The skills and leadership abilities that I have gained at Voorhees are priceless for both my professional and personal life.”
Since her freshman year on campus, Paun has been active in various organizations such as the first-ever Voorhees College Debate Team, where she was the team captain, concert choir, Honors College, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, the International Student Association and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
“From academic organizations, to athletics, to social and community service organizations, I purposely involved myself in every activity that my schedule allowed so I would not miss anything that Voorhees had to offer,” Paun said.
“The VC community welcomed my participation in every form and fashion, and I am very appreciative for that.”
Paun learned of Voorhees through history professor, Dr. Leland Barrows, who she met while he was living in Romania. Paun continually kept in touch with Dr. Barrows, and once she graduated from high school, he recruited her for Voorhees.
Paun said she was excited about coming to America for the first time to attend Voorhees. “My only experience with America was with watching television,” she said. “I was always intrigued by the American culture.”
Next on the honor graduate’s plate is attending graduate school. Currently, she is considering Harvard University and the University of Rochester.
For more information, please contact Teesa Johnson Brunson, director of communications, at 803-780-1194 or at tbrunson@voorhees.edu.