Laura Varela
Laura Varela still has another year of high school remaining, but she is already working hard toward her
goal of becoming Chief Executive Officer of an international business.
Last year, Varela completed two semesters of history via Victoria College’s dual credit program. She also
recently earned a $1,000 scholarship as one of four winners of VC’s "What's Your Story?" essay contest.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” she said. “I heard about the contest on the day that it was due, so I wrote
the essay, and ended up winning. It was exciting.”
Varela, who will be a senior at Hallettsville Sacred Heart High School in 2024-25, plans to enroll in four
more VC courses. She will take English both semesters, adding government in the fall and economics in
the spring.
“The dual credit courses allowed me to experience college,” she said. “They open the doors to grow as a
student, but they also placed values in me that are important to college, like hard work and
perseverance. It was a good experience. It helped me realize what’s coming up for me after high
school.”
Although Varela took her courses online, she mentions that her instructor Dr. Alfredo Aguilar, taught an
insightful and well thought class that was a great introduction to the higher education experience.
“He was so helpful,” she said. “He made the whole process and the class easy for us to understand.
Victoria College was also so welcoming.”
Varela credits Robert Proctor, Student Recruitment Specialist for Enrollment Services, with helping
acclimate her to the campus and its available resources. She enjoyed seeing an environment that serves
its students with pride.
Along with taking high school and college courses, Varela participated in band and played basketball as a
junior last year. She plans to continue both extracurricular activities as a senior.
“I fell in love with band,” she said. “I have been playing saxophone the last seven years. This year, I was
assigned to be drum major. It’s been a great experience. I love the Friday night lights and music. I played
violin and piano previously. Playing basketball is also great. I love the game.”
Varela plans to earn a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree before embarking on her career. “The
world of business has fascinated me since I was young,” she said. “Whether it was the technological and
design skills I learned from various schools or my personal experiences running a lemonade and origami
stand at the age of 7, these events have all contributed to my passion for this field.”
Apart from that, Varela has been actively doing oratory since an early age. “Oratory has always allowed
me to give my truthful opinions and solutions on any topic.”
In addition to leadership, she believes that, “A CEO position would allow me to actively participate in
giving work opportunities to others. The most important thing to me is to give back to my community.”
“I am committed to continuing my educational journey with passion and purpose, knowing that it will
not only empower me to achieve my goals but also allow me to positively impact the world and those
around me.”