Victoria Sananikone '21
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Professional Writing and Rhetoric major with minors in Journalism and Public Relations from Cedar Park, Texas
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Editor In Chief of The McKendree Review student newspaper
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Coordinator of Humans of McKendree podcast
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President of Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society
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Member of Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society
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Named to the Dean’s List
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Member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee
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Women’s Swimming and Diving Team
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Social Media Coordinator for McKendree Student Athlete and Diversity Inclusion committee
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Marketing Communications intern for the National Ectodermal Dysplasia Foundation
By Stephanie (Coartney) Dulaney '10
Storytelling has always been a passion for Victoria Sananikone ’21 ever since she was old enough to find herself transported through the pages of a
book. It wasn’t until she arrived at McKendree, however, that she truly found her
voice as a writer and took advantage of the endless opportunities to grow her skills.
A talented swimmer, Victoria first came to McKendree from her home state of Texas
to join the newly created swimming and diving team. Although the team wasn’t even a year old yet, she felt immediately at home among
the strong camaraderie of her teammates. She discovered a similar bond with McKendree’s
community of writers and became a regular contributor to The McKendree Review student newspaper. It wasn’t long before she took on increasingly active roles within
it, from Head Copyeditor to Editor to Editor-In-Chief.
“The Review is the perfect platform for students and staff to voice their passions,” Victoria
said. “I love how it allows students to be heard when it comes to writing about something
that everyone should be focusing on. We see students writing to trump misogyny, those
who keep us updated with politics, survivors of sexual assault who write to show others
that they are not alone, and students who shed light on the ways in which McKendree
can become a better university"
"The Review has given me the courage to write pieces that contain controversy and to speak out
against all forms of injustice."
Her favorite articles include her music review column called “Vic’s Tuesday Tunes”
and her video game review on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which is the first article
to pop up on Google when the phrase “most awarded video game of all time” is searched.
In addition to The Review, Victoria fell in love with the Humans of McKendree project and took her storytelling
abilities to the next level by turning it into a podcast. Based on the popular Humans
of New York photoblog, Humans of McKendree seeks simply to tell the life stories of
people on campus. Victoria was interviewed as a sophomore and wanted to help grow
the project through her podcast. “My goal was to connect the staff and students of
McKendree at a deeper level by interviewing them about certain aspects of their life
such as their greatest accomplishments, their fondest memories, and how they ended
up at McKendree,” she said.
"It’s an honor to have people open up to you and relay powerful moments in their lives."
Victoria found yet another way to share others’ stories through her writing as an
intern for the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasia. Not only did the experience
grow her skills in marketing and scientific writing, but it also inspired her as she
wrote about compelling individuals living with the rare genetic condition.
As a senior this year, Victoria looks forward to life after graduation with the goal
of traveling with friends, finishing her novel, and one day making it on the New York
Times Best Seller List.
Learn more about opportunities at McKendree University.
Make It McKendree
