Victoria B Young

I attribute my success to my faith. God has never failed me, and that foundation is what fuels my discipline, my resilience, and my ability to keep going when things get difficult.

My faith drives my internal push, especially in moments of challenge or uncertainty. It reminds me that my work is bigger than me. I’m not just building projects, I’m helping create pathways for the next generation.

I’m always mindful that a young girl is watching, someone who looks like me, waiting to see what’s possible for her future. That responsibility keeps me focused, grounded, and committed to doing the work with purpose and integrity

The best career advice I’ve ever received is: don’t wait for permission—prepare yourself and move anyway.

I learned early on that no one is going to hand you a clear path, especially in industries like construction, sustainability, and environmental policy, where the roadmap is still being built. Willingness to step into rooms before you feel fully ready, just do the work, and let your results speak for you.

That advice taught me to always be prepared, stay consistent, and trust my ability to figure things out along the way. It also pushed me to stop shrinking myself and start owning my expertise, because growth doesn’t happen when you wait; it happens when you move.

The biggest advice I can give is to find a mentor and a coach who will guide you, challenge you, and hold you accountable through every phase of your journey. No career path is guaranteed, and there is no single blueprint for success; you have to be willing to create your own "green path".

In the STEM and sustainability field, we are still paving the way for women of color. That means you can’t wait for the path to be clearly defined; you have to step into it and help shape it.

Through my work, I mentor individuals across every stage, whether they’re in college, graduate school, entering the workforce, or transitioning through nonprofits and public agencies. The question is always the same: “How do I break into this space?” My answer is simple: stay curious, stay committed, and align yourself with people who are already doing the work and willing to pour into you.

One of the biggest challenges in sustainability and environmental justice right now is education, closing the gap between what we know and what communities actually understand and can act on.

In many underserved communities, people are living with the impacts of environmental conditions every day, but don’t always have access to the information, resources, or pathways to create change. That’s where the real opportunity lies, turning awareness into action.

At NUE, our model is simple: we reshape through education, revitalize through occupation, and renew through innovation. We don’t just talk about sustainability—we make it tangible. That means educating communities, creating workforce pathways, and implementing real projects that reduce carbon footprints and improve the quality of life.

Buildings are one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions, so the opportunity is in how we design, retrofit, and operate the spaces people live and work in. When we combine education with implementation, we’re not just informing communities, we’re equipping them to lead and benefit from the transition to a more sustainable future.

I am driven by a desire to make a difference, one solution, one relationship, and one opportunity at a time.In both my work and personal life, I am fueled by a vibrant set of values that shape how I engage with the world around me. Being solutions-focused, service-oriented, and grounded in education and continuous improvement is not just a mantra; it’s the essence of my daily journey. At the heart of my approach is a servant's mindset.