Victor Davis was the first senior in the history of Benjamin Banneker High School to enroll in six Advanced Placement courses, among them calculus, biology, and physics. As a freshman Victor directed a student production of “Merry Wives of Windsor” that was performed at the Folger Shakespeare Library and won acclaim for “most accurate depiction” and “most comical production.”
Clearly, Victor is not afraid to take risks. “He routinely pushes himself beyond what many of his peers consider comfortable academic limits,” says his guidance counselor, “and he gives maximum effort to every assignment.” Consequently, he ranks in the top 3% of his class and has earned numerous awards, including the Dartmouth Book Award and the Discover Card Tribute Award. Victor was named a McDonald’s Black History Maker of Tomorrow and a Commended Student in the National Achievement Scholarship Program. He is a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, the national mathematics honor society.
Victor’s goal is to become a youth counselor and to work with at-risk youth. “As a member of an urban community, I am all too aware of the danger facing young African-Americans,” he says. “We lack responsible role models who look like us, who believe in us.” Victor’s interest in youth work began in tenth grade when he was selected into Project Bridge, a year-long cultural exchange program, and served as youth ambassador to Korea. “It was so gratifying being surrounded by people who helped elevate each other,” he remembers.
The next year Victor worked as a youth facilitator in TASA (Teens Against the Spread of AIDS), and as a youth counselor in TNT (Teens with Negative HIV Test Results). He co-founded and led the Peer Mediation Club at Banneker and served as youth president of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution. During this time he also became head volunteer at Children’s Hospital’s Department of Infectious Diseases and created a mentoring program for elementary school children. These experiences convinced Victor to choose counseling as a career.
In his free time, Victor likes to play tennis, sing, and read books by Miguel de Unamuno. He enjoys spending time with his nephews who, he says, “make me laugh like no one else can.” The day he became confirmed and officially accepted as a parishioner at his church was an important event for Victor. His ultimate goal in life is to be a good father.
