Meet Victoria Bakros, a senior at Dowling Catholic who manages to keep things real, whether she’s rallying on the tennis court, hyping up her friends at football games, or just trying to keep her planner (and life) in order.
Victoria’s all about making memories, her favorites are the rush of Friday night lights, making senior overalls with friends, and having fun at prom (because who doesn’t love an excuse to dress up and take way too many photos?)
A tennis player since her days at Wakonda Club, Victoria found her place on the Dowling girls’ tennis team thanks to the encouragement and pep talks from upperclassmen like Juju Mauro and Grace Frye. Their support on tough days made all the difference, proving that teammates are more than just people you see at practice.
When she’s not serving aces or running drills in the Iowa heat, Victoria is juggling school, sports, and actual life with a healthy mix of planning ahead and knowing when to press pause. Her secret to not burning out? “Give yourself time to rest and relax.”
Victoria’s got some surprises up her sleeve, too. She’s survived a jellyfish sting, can snowboard and ski like a champ in Utah, and even plays lacrosse for Valley when tennis doesn’t steal the spotlight. She’s also a certified CNA and phlebotomist at just the young age of 17.
Her weekends are for walks, yoga, coffee runs, and hanging out with her favorite people. She dreams of college, maybe even outside Iowa, and she’s determined to finish her tennis career at Dowling swinging for the fences (and, hopefully, the state tournament).
Victoria looks up to her older sister, “she never takes a challenge empty-handed,” and she’s got some wisdom for underclassmen: “Don’t regret not doing things while you still have the chance. High school goes by fast, get involved and make it count!”
From pep rallies to the last match, Victoria brings energy, heart, and a little bit of fearless fun to everything she does. We can’t wait to see where she swings next!
