Getting the Most Out of College: How Nikki Victorious Balances Academics, Community, and Faith
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Psychology
College life has a lot to offer; there are numerous activities, clubs, and events to choose from. With so many options, students can miss great opportunities. Nikki Victorious, a psychology major, didn’t want to miss these opportunities so she made a prayerful choice to get involved. It was Nikki’s choice to serve as Vice President of ORU’s Student Association (SA). It was also her choice to run track, cheer, and work as a resident advisor.
“When I came to ORU, I wanted to take advantage of all the opportunities I wouldn’t see outside of college,” Nikki said. “As a freshman, I was excited to get involved and wanted to be active. I’ve had to balance a lot, but I have no regrets. When I graduate, I can honestly say that I’ve done every single thing that I was determined to do.”
“What I realized is if you're intentional about seeking the Lord before you start something, He helps you balance it. God knows how much I can handle. I think you just have to ask the Lord, ‘Can I do this?’ And if He gives you the go, do it.”
Uniting in Prayer as a Student Body
For Nikki, leadership isn’t about titles; it’s about making a difference. Last year, Nikki and her friend Asma “Aaron” Siebler, the current SA President, decided to run for office, driven by their desire to foster unity and prayer among the student body.
“As a Spirit-empowered University,” Nikki said, “ORU is a training ground for spiritual leaders, and it’s important that we as students develop a prayer life. Aaron and I wanted to come together and see how we could pray for our campus, not just individually but collectively as a student body. Prayer holds a significant place in my life, not just as a spiritual practice but as a means of understanding and support.”
Nikki believes prayer doesn’t end at the ORU campus; she also believes in its importance globally. Praying for the nations means knowing the nations, and with this in mind, Nikki and her friends created the digital platform prayfornations.org. This website is dedicated to uniting believers in prayer for the nations. Each day, it highlights a different country, providing information on its challenges, prayer points, demographic data, and more.
“We’re a university comprised of many nations, and we want to pray for them all,” said Nikki, “but it’s important for us to learn more about the nations we pray for, hearing their stories and what they go through. This helps us feel more connected and motivated on how to pray for them. With Pray for Nations, we’re able to keep up to date with the current conditions in each nation and pray for them.”
Nikki’s Key to Finding Balance: Prayer
Nikki believes that prayer is critical both locally and globally, but she also believes it’s critical for her everyday life. In balancing the demands of her busy schedule, Nikki says that God's direction helps her determine what activities to participate in. Choosing not to rely solely on her personal capacity, she embraces a deep reliance on the Holy Spirit.
“What I realized is if you're intentional about seeking the Lord before you start something, He helps you balance it,” said Nikki. “God knows how much I can handle. I think you just have to ask the Lord, ‘Can I do this?’ And if He gives you the go, do it.”
Nikki has had her share of challenges as a college student, but she has continued to grow and make a difference. As an athlete, cheerleader, and campus leader, she has created experiences she won’t forget. Nikki believes the choice to get involved can positively impact one's college experience.
“When you have the mindset of ‘I get to do all these things,’ it changes everything,” said Nikki. “I’ve competed with the track team, and I cheered for the basketball team during March Madness. I also traveled to Florida last year and competed with ORU Cheer. If you start doing things apart from God, you can get burnt out, but when you intentionally seek the Lord about your plans, He helps you sustain it.”
UNIVERSITY BRIEF
ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 15 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor’s level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 151 nations in the last four years to be whole leaders for the whole world.
The Wall Street Journal ranked ORU as the #8 university in the nation for student experience and one of America's Best Colleges (2024). This new category rates the best colleges in the U.S. to have a great experience while attending. This ranking is powered by one of the largest ever independent surveys of verified college students and recent graduates in the United States. Niche recognizes ORU as one of the top 25 most diverse colleges in America, # 1 best Christian college in Oklahoma, and # 1 in Oklahoma for diversity. Princeton Review ranked ORU as the best regional college, and College Raptor ranked ORU as a Hidden Gem in the Southwest.
ORU has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as:
- #1 in Undergraduate Teaching
- #2 in Most International Students
- #3 in Best Value
- #6 in Best College for Veterans
- #7 in Best Regional Colleges in the West
For more information, visit www.oru.edu.