Her Story
About Victoria
Victoria Lyles-Savage is a youth development professional, educator, community advocate, and emerging leader in the field of criminal justice and public service based in Raleigh, North Carolina. With more than a decade of experience supporting children, families, students, and communities, Victoria has built her career around creating safe, structured, and empowering environments where young people can learn, grow, and recognize their potential.
Victoria currently serves as an Area Site Director for Champions Before and After School Program at Wake Forest Charter Academy, where she provides day-to-day leadership for a school-age program serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade. In this role, she oversees staff, manages program operations, supports student engagement and behavior, communicates with families and school administration, maintains regulatory and program compliance, and develops activities that promote social, emotional, and academic development. Her leadership reflects her belief that quality youth programming requires both structure and genuine connection with children and families.
In addition to her leadership with Champions, Victoria works with the City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department as a Recreational Leader at Worthdale Community Center, where she contributes to community programming, youth engagement, recreation, and relationship-building within the community. Her work in both school-based and community-based settings has allowed her to understand the importance of providing young people with positive adults, meaningful opportunities, and supportive spaces outside of the traditional classroom.
Victoria’s professional experience extends across education, youth programming, social services, and student support. She previously served as a Program Coordinator at The Franciscan School, supporting before and after school programming, and served as a Black Student Union Moderator at Cardinal Gibbons High School, where she helped provide students with mentorship, leadership development, and a supportive environment for student engagement and community building. Earlier in her career, she completed an internship with Raleigh Rescue Mission, gaining valuable experience working with individuals and families experiencing challenging circumstances.
Victoria’s commitment to youth development is deeply connected to her educational background. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, establishing a strong foundation in social work, human services, advocacy, and community support. She later earned her Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Southern New Hampshire University, with an academic focus that strengthened her understanding of criminal justice systems, public safety, administration, rehabilitation, and community-based approaches to addressing social challenges.
Since beginning her professional work with children in 2016, Victoria has remained committed to helping young people navigate challenges while encouraging accountability, confidence, leadership, and personal growth. Her background in social work, youth development, education, recreation, and criminal justice gives her a unique perspective on the factors that influence young people’s lives and the importance of intervention and support before challenges become lifelong barriers.
At the heart of Victoria’s work is a commitment to serving youth, strengthening families, and building healthier communities. Her long-term professional interests center on juvenile justice, rehabilitation, youth advocacy, community programming, and creating opportunities for young people who may need additional guidance, structure, mentorship, and support. She hopes to continue using her education and professional experience to contribute to systems that do more than respond to young people’s challenges—they help create pathways for them to succeed.
Victoria’s career reflects a simple but powerful belief: every young person deserves to be seen, supported, held accountable, and given an opportunity to become more than the circumstances they may have experienced.
This version positions you as more than someone who works in childcare. It connects your social work degree, master’s in criminal justice, leadership experience, community work, and long-term juvenile justice goals into one cohesive professional story.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Victoria
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to strong leadership, resilience, perseverance, and a commitment to serving others. Throughout my career, I have intentionally placed myself in roles where I am responsible not only for my own success, but also for helping others succeed. Whether I am leading a team, supporting young people, coordinating programs, working with families, or engaging with my community, I understand that effective leadership is about being present, dependable, and willing to take responsibility.
One of my greatest leadership strengths is my ability to build relationships and create environments where people feel supported and respected. Working with children and staff has taught me how important it is to listen, communicate clearly, set expectations, and lead with both compassion and accountability. I believe people perform at their best when they know their leader genuinely cares about their growth while also holding them to a high standard.
I also attribute my success to my ability to adapt, problem-solve, and take initiative. My professional journey has placed me in a variety of environments, from education and youth development to social services, recreation, and criminal justice. Each experience has strengthened my ability to navigate challenges, make thoughtful decisions, advocate for others, and remain solution-focused.
My education has also played a major role in shaping me as a leader. Earning my bachelor’s degree in social work and master’s degree in criminal justice expanded my understanding of people, communities, systems, and the challenges that can impact young people and families. I have learned to look beyond the immediate problem and consider what support, resources, and opportunities can create lasting change.
Most importantly, I attribute my success to purpose. I want my leadership to have an impact. I want the young people I work with to know that they are capable, the staff I lead to feel empowered to grow, and the families and communities I serve to know that their voices matter. For me, leadership is not simply about holding a position—it is about inspiring others, creating opportunities, developing people, and leaving every environment better than I found it.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received is “Do not be afraid to outgrow where you are.” I have learned that growth often requires you to step outside of what is comfortable, take on new responsibilities, and be willing to see yourself in roles that may initially feel bigger than what you have done before.
That advice has encouraged me to continue pursuing education, take leadership opportunities, and recognize that every position I have held has been preparing me for the next chapter of my career. My journey from social work and youth programming into leadership, community engagement, and criminal justice has not been a straight line, but every experience has added another layer to who I am as a professional.
I have also learned that you do not have to know every answer to be an effective leader. Be willing to learn, ask questions, listen to the people around you, and never stop developing yourself. I carry that mindset into every role I take on because I believe great leaders are not defined by knowing everything; they are defined by their ability to grow, adapt, develop others, and continue moving forward.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I believe one of the biggest challenges in my field right now is making sure young people have access to the support, resources, and positive relationships they need before challenges become larger issues. Children and families are navigating academic pressure, social and emotional challenges, family circumstances, and community issues that can significantly affect their development. For professionals working with youth, it is important to look beyond behavior and understand what may be contributing to it.
At the same time, I see a tremendous opportunity to strengthen early intervention, youth mentorship, community-based programming, and partnerships between schools, families, social services, and the juvenile justice system. My background in social work, youth development, education, and criminal justice has shown me how important it is for these systems to work together rather than operate separately.
I also believe there is an opportunity to develop more leaders who understand both the human side and the administrative side of this work. Effective programs require strong leadership, accountability, communication, and a genuine understanding of the people being served.
For me, the greatest opportunity is to help create environments where young people are not defined by their mistakes or circumstances. With the right guidance, structure, resources, and relationships, young people can develop the skills and confidence they need to make positive decisions and build successful futures. That is the kind of work I want my career to continue moving toward.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me, both professionally and personally, are integrity, compassion, accountability, growth, and service.
Integrity is at the foundation of how I lead and interact with others. I believe in being honest, dependable, and doing the right thing even when no one is watching. As a leader, I want people to know that they can trust my word and depend on me to follow through.
Compassion is equally important because I believe you can hold people accountable while still recognizing that everyone has a story and circumstances that may influence where they are in life. My background in social work, youth development, and criminal justice has taught me the importance of listening before judging and supporting people while encouraging them to take responsibility for their choices.
I also value growth. I believe I should always be learning, whether that means pursuing education, developing new leadership skills, learning from difficult experiences, or being open to feedback. My bachelor’s degree in social work and master’s degree in criminal justice reflect my commitment to continually expanding my knowledge and using it to serve others more effectively.
Finally, service is at the center of everything I do. I want my work to have a meaningful impact on children, families, staff, and my community. I believe true leadership is not simply about having a title. It is about using your position, experience, and voice to create opportunities, develop others, solve problems, and leave people and communities better than you found them.
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