Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Victoria.
Hi Liz, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey has always been about balancing logic with creativity, kind of like designing a perfectly structured outfit that still has a lot of personality. It started in college, where I double-majored in Mathematics and Computer Science. Walking into my early compsci and math classes, I quickly noticed I was one of the very few women in the room. Navigating those spaces can feel incredibly daunting when you don’t see a lot of people who look like you or share your interests.
To help change that, I launched my YouTube channel. I wanted to be a relatable resource for women in STEM, almost like a Disney Channel older sister giving a classic pep talk about navigating college. I started making videos sharing the exact things I wish I’d known before majoring in math and computer science, alongside practical advice on what clubs to join to find your community. My goal was to show women that you don’t have to compromise your style or your personality to excel in tech.
That foundation opened incredible doors, leading to a full scholarship to pursue my PhD in Computer Science. During my doctoral program, I focused on data-driven solutions for healthcare, working on bioinformatics and machine learning research to help understand mood disorders. It was incredibly fulfilling to use complex R code to address real, human mental health challenges.
Throughout my academic and professional career, my core mission has remained exactly the same. I am passionate about helping people feel confident in what they do so they can handle life’s challenges and have fun along the way. I want to give people the ultimate confidence-boosting outfit, but for their mindset, so they can walk into any room knowing they belong there.
Today, I’m focused on bringing all of these worlds together through my own creative projects. I’m currently developing mobile apps centered around lifestyle and fashion, which feels a lot like designing a capsule wardrobe. You take structured, technical pieces and arrange them into something beautiful, functional, and full of style. Beyond development, I’ve spent time teaching at the university level, focusing on research methods and digital literacy. I am deeply invested in tech-upskilling, specifically teaching people how to navigate emerging technologies, think critically about the digital tools they use, and ethically vet information. Ultimately, I want to empower people to use technology as an asset that boosts their confidence, proving you can navigate high-level tech and stay completely true to who you are.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I think the bumps are where you really figure out who you are.
On the academic and professional side, navigating computer science and math as a woman came with a unique set of hurdles. There were plenty of times when I felt like I was seen first and heard second. Walking into technical spaces, it often felt like I had to work twice as hard just to earn basic respect, and even then, it was easy to be underestimated. Dealing with rejection was also a major part of the process. Whether it was applying for jobs, scholarships, or PhD spots, hearing “no” was exhausting. There were seasons where I genuinely wasn’t sure when things would finally turn around, or if the door I was knocking on would ever open. Thankfully, they did, but sitting in that uncertainty took a lot of mental grit.
On the creative side, building my YouTube channel brought a completely different, incredibly steep learning curve. People see a finished video and think it’s just talking into a camera, but I had to teach myself an entire production studio’s worth of skills. I had to learn scripting, directing, lighting, editing, producing, and figuring out the right music and transitions to keep people engaged. Beyond the creative side, the technical hurdles were real, dealing with camera gear, cords, batteries, managing SD cards, and fighting with slow upload speeds to get videos live. Then there was the public speaking aspect, learning how to connect with an audience through a lens and thoughtfully navigating the comments section.
Every single one of those challenges forced me to expand my skill set. Navigating those two very different worlds taught me how to back up my technical expertise with real communication skills, and it made me much more empathetic to the exact audience I’m trying to empower today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At my core, I am a digital creator, educator, and developer who specializes in translating complex technical concepts into relatable, creative media. Through my platform, Liz Victoria PhD, I design video content that demystifies STEM and helps women confidently navigate academic and tech spaces. Beyond the camera, my creative work extends into software development, where I am currently building mobile apps that merge high-level coding with lifestyle and personal style.
I am probably best known for my absolute fearlessness when it comes to trying new things. I treat life like a series of creative side quests, and I am never afraid to dive into something new, even if I fail along the way. One week that might mean heading to the local library to learn how to 3D-print custom Christmas ornaments and name plates as holiday gifts. Another week, it means diving into my love for beauty and style. I’ve filmed everything from fashion lookbooks to makeup tutorials on YouTube, and my Olivia Rodrigo SOUR Halloween makeup and costume video actually got featured on Seventeen Magazine’s website!
What I am most proud of is the tangible impact of that representation, combined with a lifelong dedication to the arts. Long before I was coding, I was a vocalist and dancer. Back in high school, I competed against talented young women across the entire state and ranked as the 10th chair soprano for the All-State Show Choir. Carrying that powerful performing arts discipline into the tech world has been incredibly rewarding. Knowing that a video I scripted and edited in my living room gave a young woman the confidence to stick with her STEM major, join a tech club, or speak up in a room where she is underestimated is the best feeling in the world.
How do you think about luck?
When I look back at my journey, I genuinely feel so lucky. I often use the word blessed, but there really is an element of pure luck in how things aligned, especially when it comes to the people in my life. I have been incredibly lucky to be surrounded by an amazing foundation of family, mentors, and friends who have completely shaped my path.
My family has been my absolute rock, providing the kind of unconditional support that gives you the confidence to take big risks and chase ambitious goals. Alongside them, my mentors have been an anchor for me. Whenever I found myself standing at a crossroads, they were always there to guide me, pointing me toward the right scholarships, helping me apply to the right programs, and connecting me with the right people.
Just as importantly, my friends have been my ultimate support system. We’ve always believed in lifting each other up to get better opportunities. Whether we were pulling late-night study sessions for the GRE, editing each other’s resumes, or running through mock interviews until we felt unstoppable, we did it together.
Any “good luck” I’ve experienced in my life has really just been the result of opportunities opening up because I had that incredible village of family, mentors, and friends cheering me on and putting in the work with me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/lizvictoria
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizvictoriaphd
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LizVictoriaPhD
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lizvictoriaphd
