Victoria Shin

Height: 5’4
Hometown: Vancouver, BC
Languages: English, Korean, French
Occupation: Paralegal (Family Law)

Victoria immigrated to Canada at the age of 4 with her family from South Korea. For her, life has always been one extreme to the other: growing up in two very different cultures; simultaneously being both a visible minority and part of the dominant race/ethnicity of Canada and Korea, respectively; and being surrounded by only immediate family members to being surrounded by and having access to all extended family and various networks established over generations.

Experiencing life in this manner granted Victoria clarity in the importance of human connection and the ability to perceive things from various perspectives. This, in turn, nurtured Victoria’s drive to learn of and understand anything and everything in this world, realizing that this world is full of beautiful diversity that reflects surprising similarities when understood.

Her drive to understand developed Victoria to be a highly persistent person, which has helped her immensely in her pursuit of legal education. Having just completed her studies on Dean’s List and entering into the legal industry as a paralegal in family law, Victoria aspires to continue further in the legal field and become a practicing lawyer, and perhaps even a judge eventually – though only time will tell.

Her past work experiences as a flight attendant at Air Canada and as a rapid responder under the Canadian Red Cross’s Emergency Management department during the COVID-19 pandemic served to solidify the significance of human connection in Victoria’s mind; and taught her how to be adaptable and communicate in an engaging and comprehensible manner that is appropriately fitting for the situation. She hopes to apply what she has learned during these years to this year’s Miss Universe Canada competition.

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?

I enjoy Yoga and Pilates. I am interested in the idea of cooking, and am working on the actual cooking part; but regardless I love (eating) good food. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends the most… and sleeping too 🙂

List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc.)

• Aviation (pertinent to the role of ‘flight attendant’)
• First Aid & CPR
• Lifeguard and Water Safety Instructor (aka swimming instructor) Training
• Acting
• Modeling
• Piano
• Dance (ballet & jazz)

In what sports, if any, have you participated?

• Soccer
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Swimming
• Figure Skating
• Ringette
• Tennis
• Badminton
• Water Polo
• Baseball

Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life. Why?

Other than my parents, one person who significantly influenced my life is one of my mom’s friends. Unfortunately she has passed away, but she was a person who could, with only one encounter, leave a lasting impression on you. That is exactly how she impacted me: I’ve only ever met her once, on one of my many visits to Korea to see my parents (they moved back to Korea when I was 17). The amount of effort and genuine interest she had for me, someone who she’s meeting for the first time, was just amazing (for lack of better words). In that one encounter she was able to make me feel so loved and special. I hope I can be someone like that, like her.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment (other than participating in this pageant)?

My proudest accomplishment is the efforts that I’ve made in order to keep my family connected to each other despite the eventual conclusion of a “broken family”. My parents both being capable, good humans were not compatible with each other: rather, they brought out the worst in each other and it was not good for either one of them. In this environment, alongside an isolating immigrant experience (especially for my parents, I think), our nucleus family was all we had for a longtime. We were family; my parents were business partners; my sister and I were translators; I was advisor, friend, and sometimes the comic relief. Looking back at all the efforts I’ve made in this regard, I feel that my family dynamic would be completely different from what it is today if I did not make those efforts for my family when I was little. Those efforts made is my proudest accomplishment.

What is the most interesting or unique thing that has ever happened to you and/or what is the most interesting thing about you?

I always express my ability to speak 3 languages as such: English is the language of my mind, Korean is the language of my blood, and French is the language of my heart. I was born into the Korean language; and I grew up and lived my life in the English language. But with the French language, I started learning French because I had a crush who was French and/or spoke French (I don’t really remember very well). I was 11 years old, and he was a lifeguard at the pool (so he was definitely a couple of years older than me). I thought he was cute, and I overheard him speaking with someone else in a language I did not understand at the time. So obviously, because he was cute and all that, I just HAD to understand what he was saying. Turns out, that language was French.

What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?

My career ambitions have always been in the direction of law. Though I’ve made some detours along the way I have successfully took my first steps into the legal field, as a paralegal. My next steps as of now is to gain experience working in the industry and wait to see if I am successful in any of my law school applications. Should I succeed in getting admission, my trajectory will be the 3 years of law school, graduation, then the bar exam. Ideally this would be the case and I will proceed in my life as such, and after accumulating years under my belt as a lawyer I would be eligible to become a judge (hopefully). During those years of practicing as a lawyer, I hope to make another detour and enter into foreign affairs. How I will become a diplomat, however, is something I have yet to figure out – I am hoping once I get further into the legal industry I will be able to obtain information on how one becomes a diplomat, and make my ‘game plan’ from there.

What would be your “dream job” in life?

Being a diplomat. Representing and connecting my country to the world is something that I would like to have the opportunity to do – which, now that I think about it, is something that pageantry does as well.

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.

I was raised in rural Alberta, predominantly in a small town called Drayton Valley. I really loved my childhood there, and have expressed to my parents and sister (on multiple occasions) that I think my life peaked at elementary school – that is how much I loved the house that I lived in; the neighborhood that my house was located; the big lake at the bottom of the hill behind my backyard. The community that I was able to grow up in at that time, in that place, was probably the most connected and rooted I have ever felt in my life, where I truly felt that sense of ‘home’.

List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.

Being a flight attendant.

List any volunteering you have done.

• Nanaimo Salvation Army (thrift store)
• Home for Hooves Farm Sanctuary
• Nanaimo 7-10 Club
• The University of Victoria’s International Student Services department’s ‘Global Community Conversation Partner’ program (for the English language)
• Volunteer facilitator for the Saanich Parks’ Pulling Together volunteer program, in partnership with the University of Victoria’s ‘Project Serve Day’

What is your most unusual talent?

I am able to just space out for extended periods of time. Perhaps this is my brain’s retaliation to all the thinking I’ve been putting it through, I don’t know ~ ^^

Where is the most interesting place you have been to?

The night markets in Taipei, Taiwan.

What do you hope to be doing in ten years?

Practicing as a lawyer or working for our country as a diplomat. I would also really like to have a family of my own by then – although I am not as confident about this one because I have yet to even experience my first love!