Victoria redmon

What is the reason that you chose to work in Student Transitions?

I chose to work in Student Transitions because I have a passion for facilitating belonging for Frist Year students. I had the opportunity to serve as a summer graduate intern for Dawg Camp during the summer of 2019 and fell in love with extended orientation and the students at UGA. From the moment I left, I knew I wanted to come back.

What does a “day in the life” look like for you at work?

Every day is a surprise, especially when you work with Dawg Camp! Some days, I work on budgeting, and others I’m ordering 300 cans of shaving cream and a 12-foot waterslide. I’m grateful to work in an environment that allows me to be flexible and creative.

What is the most rewarding thing you encounter in your job?

I encounter students who come to UGA and feel like they don’t have a place and feel like they’re alone and overwhelmed, but over the course of several days, I get to watch them blossom, and make friends, and feel safe and loved and seen. I get to walk through Dawg Camp Discovery and hear students say they don’t want to leave and that they can’t wait to come back to campus. To hear those testimonies and to see the love our students have for UGA is extremely rewarding. The opportunity to be a part of their journey and to facilitate that kind of community building is extremely humbling.

What might be some ways that staff could collaborate or partner with you?

Right now, we are searching for Student Affairs Staff who would be interested in serving as Dawg Camp Namesakes! Each year, UGA staff members are invited to serve as Namesakes for Dawg Camp Discovery and have the opportunity to interact with our first-year students in various capacities. It is important to our program that students know they are supported at all levels of the university and have as many connections to UGA as possible.  Our campers greatly appreciate this opportunity to get to know faculty and staff members, ask them questions, and seek advice about their first year at UGA! If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Dawg Camp Namesake, please email me at v.redmon@uga.edu.

Are you from Georgia? If not, where are you from?

I am not from Georgia! I am actually from Boone, North Carolina, home of Appalachian State University!

Who do you look up to/admire?

I look up to Dolly Parton. It sounds silly, but she is a guiding light in my life who always seems to have all the answers. Most people love Dolly because of her Dolly-isms, but when you start to learn more about her, you realize that she is so much more. Dolly makes me proud to be a woman from rural Appalachia and to be true to myself, no matter who or what tries to put you down. She shows up 100% every-single-day and I strive to do that as well. I have a Dolly quote in my office that was gifted to me by a mentor that says, “It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world”, and I think she’s right.

What is the coolest thing you have ever done and why?

That’s a hard question! I think the coolest thing I’ve ever done deciding to take adult swim lessons! This year, at the age of 26, I decided I wanted to learn how to swim (I never learned) and actually signed up for a class at Ramsey (s/o Ramsey!) and it was one of the most cool and rewarding experiences I have ever had.