Joanna Neuman
It didn’t take Joanna Neuman long to feel at home as a Victoria College student.
“My first day of school was the best one I’ve ever had,” she said. “There were teachers everywhere helping me find my classes. People were giving out snacks, and everyone was so welcoming and nice.”
After graduating from Edna High School four years ago, attending cosmetology school and working as a nail technician for three years, Neuman enrolled at VC as a full-time student.
Her husband, Morgan, is a correctional officer in Cuero as well as a pastor.
“I wanted to have a degree to fall back on in case something happens to him,” she said. “We want lots of kids, so I need to be able to pick up the pieces.”
Neuman’s goal is to become a licensed play therapist.
Her father, Allen, was an orphan. He made a good life for himself and his family, piquing her interest in child psychology.
“I am a Christian, so I believe Jesus is our hope,” she said. “I want to be able to tell people that and be that light in somebody else’s life. I want to be the reason somebody doesn’t give up.”
Neuman is off to a good start laying that groundwork in her first semester as a college student.
“I love my psychology class,” she said. “My teacher, Lisa Elsik, is very nice, friendly and encouraging. She gives you a lot of resources. I am learning a lot about different things that will be interesting in my field, like coping mechanisms and defense mechanisms.”
She also enjoys VC’s music classes and received a $500 music scholarship for her first semester.
“I love music,” she said. “I was on a worship team for a brief amount of time, but I’ve been singing in church my whole life. I wanted to be able to expand my musical knowledge. VC offers music courses, so I thought, ‘Why not?’”
Neuman said VC’s online Pirate Portal is a valuable tool for students.
“Everything being in the same place and me being able to contact all my teachers makes my school experience much easier,” she said.
Once she earns her associate degree, Neuman plans to transfer to the University of Houston-Victoria to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice and a master’s in forensic psychology.
“I would like to focus on kids who have been abused or are in the foster care system. With that background, I’ll have more of an idea of what they’re going through.”
Neuman looks forward to adding more classes to her workload in the spring and learning more about her future career.
“I would recommend anyone to go to VC,” she said. “There are a lot of resources for mental health, so if college becomes overwhelming, there’s always someone to talk to. It has been a wonderful beginning of school. I can only imagine it’s going to get better as I continue.”