Victoria Lodico is a recent Terry Foundation Scholar graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she pursued a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations & Global Studies with a focus in science, technology, and the environment, a Bachelor of Science in Political Communications, and a minor in business. As a first generation college student of color and an avid nature enthusiast who has yet to visit one of the 424 U.S National Parks, throughout her time in university Victoria has been passionate about researching over and participating in initiatives aimed at educating the public on the nature gap phenomenon, eliminating instances of environmental injustice, and in turn, better connecting communities with their own backyards.

Having lived for a period in time in the green capital of the world - Copenhagen, Denmark - Victoria was able to experience ecology, natural resource management, and sustainable transitions in favor of clean energy in ways she could’ve never imagined and looks forward to using that acquired knowledge in her future endeavors. After working as a sustainability consultant for Activision Blizzard through UT Austin’s Longhorn Impact Fellowship of Texas, a policy and advocacy intern for the United Ways of Texas, and an environmental research, policy, and advocacy intern for the DC based think tank Public CItizen, Victoria’s professional and academic goals have never been more clear as she plans to complete her fellowship with the Inyo National Forest before going back to school in hopes of pursuing either a JD in Environmental Law or an MS in Environmental Science and Policy. When Victoria isn’t pre-occupied trying to save the world, she enjoys partaking in hygge, as it’s referred to by the Danes, thrifting and upcycling pieces for her small business, Old Soul Outlet, and taking her cat Oslo on hikes through the Greenbelt in Austin!