Tori’s Triumph: Navigating Life’s Tightrope with Dedication and Resilience

Balance is a challenge when walking a tightrope. Victoria (Tori) added juggling to the degree of difficulty. Working for the Department of Children and Family Services, being a wife, and mother to two sons, as well as primary caregiver to her grandmother and mother-in-law, Victoria’s hands were full. Add to that being enrolled in some of the more difficult courses in the Legal Studies program here at Illinois Central College.

Then things took another turn. Halfway through the Fall 2022 semester, Tori’s husband ended up in the hospital with a near-fatal medical emergency. Thankfully, there was a road to recovery, but it was a long road—with significant treatment and therapy. While Tori supported her family, her professor Tom Higgins and ICC supported her throughout the rest of the semester.

Professor Higgins has nothing but praise for Tori’s dedication to pursuing her academic career during this challenging time.

Tori not only kept up with her coursework, but ended the semester as a class leader, doing excellent work herself and encouraging and supporting excellence among her classmates.

Professor Thomas Higgins

Her dedication continues, as Tori and her husband continue to walk in faithful hope toward the light at the end of a sometimes-uncertain tunnel. With the skills and fortitude she has honed inside and outside the classroom, Tori is already succeeding in demonstrating the ICC core principles of Learning, Community, Integrity, Responsibility, and Excellence.