25 Under 25 Honoree Victoria Okonkwo

25 Under 25 Honoree Victoria Okonkwo / 25 Under 25 Honoree Victoria Okonkwo
Headshot of Victoria Okonkwo wearing professional attire.

While most people are navigating TikTok for entertainment, Victoria Okonkwo is using the platform to help them build their confidence navigating the entire college process. With more than 16,000 followers and a reach of more than 5.4 million people, she has turned a social media presence into a full-scale college access resource, sharing scholarship spreadsheets, FAFSA breakdowns and step-by-step templates she creates herself. She has personally responded to more than 3,000 messages from students seeking guidance and founded a mentorship program coaching students through personal essays and scholarship applications.

That commitment to supporting access isn’t only online. In 2023, Okonkwo founded the Bayonne Student Leadership Council in her hometown of Bayonne, New Jersey, after recognizing a gap in youth volunteer opportunities. The organization has since grown to 40-plus members, distributed more than 600 school uniforms to local families, provided meals to over 800 Hudson County families and coordinated the Bayonne Arts Festival. Her efforts earned her the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, a citation from the New Jersey State Legislature and the Lisa Cerbone Memorial Senior Activism Award.

At Stevens, she carries a 3.90 GPA while serving as President of the Resident Hall Association, Professional Chair of Stevens Women in Business and a Peer Mentor in the Pinnacle Scholars Program. She launched the Stevens Scholarship Hub Instagram and maintains a scholarship webpage used as an advising tool across the university.

A two-time MLK Oratorical Contest winner and Stevens Leader of Distinction, Okonkwo has plans to launch a financial literacy nonprofit and expand her platform to reach millions more.