The Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education honored three students in the area of technology and innovation, naming them “207’s Best” at a recent meeting. Victoria Djurickovic from Maine West was honored for her determination, love of learning and reliability.
The following information was written about Victoria Djurickovic as part of the nomination by Maine West principal Dr. Eileen McMahon:
VICTORIA DJURICKOVIC, MAINE WEST
Every so often as a Principal you find yourself connecting with a student who makes you forget for a minute that she is only 17 years old. On the day I met with Victoria to talk about her path in engineering and architecture, we found ourselves talking wistfully about the healthy pace of life in European countries, as she experienced in her visits to her family home in Montenegro. She talked with notable professionalism about her design portfolio, explaining how she mapped out and modeled a family home for Habitat for Humanity, opening the floorplan to create a bright, open, and airy feel in a small living space. She told me about her routines for self-care, about walking in the woods when she gets stressed, and sharing her progress on a step-counting app with her mom’s group of friends. She talked about the benefits of listening to silence, deeply listening, to settle her and keep her grounded. She sounded more like a colleague than a student.
That characteristic has apparently been visible in Victoria for a while now. Ms. Henderson, Victoria’s AP World History teacher, observed that “even as a freshman, Victoria had a great, self-assured conversational style. She made thoughtful contributions to Socratic Seminars and helped draw others into the discussion.” Mr. Maclowry noted that Victoria’s freshman year feels like ages ago, but he remembered that in English class “she was a shining star, bright, intellectually curious, and always willing to engage in class discussions and activities. A true leader.” Victoria stood out from a young age, and her teachers felt the same way I did after meeting her. “It has been a privilege to watch Victoria grow from a freshman in Intro to Engineering to a leader in Building Trades and Engineering Capstone. Beyond her impressive technical aptitude, she is an outstanding individual who consistently leads with kindness and a drive for self-improvement. Working with Victoria has made me a better educator,” said Mr. Feeney.
But alongside her maturity, Victoria also showed the characteristic energy of her age group, and shined with enthusiasm, ambition, and determination. She shared that when she started Intro to Engineering, she was scared because she was brand-new and there were only a few girls in the class. She courageously leaned into what seemed intimidating because engineering and architecture call to her. She wants to be creative in problem solving and found every opportunity she could to spend time in the engineering wing. From Intro to Engineering and Design through our CAD classes, Building Trades, and Engineering Capstone, Victoria became the leader her teachers spied in her younger self. When one of her teachers needs a perfectionist, he says, “Ah! Victoria’s got it!” Victoria told me that her creative energy also fuels her devotion to watercolors and writing and her newfound love of ceramics. She buzzed with the joy and passion that makes spending every day in a building full of teenagers so deeply rewarding.
If you know, you know… and Victoria’s teachers know. Ms. Carpenter definitely does: “Victoria is such a joy and literally has been a highlight of my year this year. She stands out for her love of learning and understanding. She is the type of student that will continue asking questions until she really feels like she understands, and then will go out of her way to help others in the class understand…A good way to explain Victoria is to share this example of her work ethic. She came to my AP Calculus class from precalc and a lot of other students came from precalc compression, where they had some knowledge of our topics already. I think this intimidated her at first, but she didn’t let that stop her. She put in the work and effort to really understand the material. Not only is she performing as one of the best in class, but she really has a deep understanding of Calculus. Her helpful, positive, and bubbly personality all make the class better as well… I feel very lucky to be her Calculus teacher this year.”
On the day we met, Victoria had just learned that she had advanced to the final round of a scholarship competition at the Illinois Institute of Technology. She is one of 12 finalists who will present their portfolios on February 20th, and Victoria has included architecture, engineering, and art projects for review. If they were to ask me, I would tell them that the portfolio represents one of Victoria’s most impressive characteristics: her drive to improve and produce the very best in all of her work. Even as a younger child in art, she showed that drive. She told me, “I couldn’t produce what I saw, so I would keep trying. Every day, every chance I can, I build. I have a drive to produce, to say, ‘I can get better at this.’” She simply does not quit, as evidenced by the brake pieces that she and her partner engineered over and over again, over 20 iterations of designing via the software and 3D printing prototypes and testing and performing very intricate welds to get it right – until they did. Victoria noted that engineering fills her up in a special way, but she is a driven person, overall. Her drive for perfection is evident in her flawless transcript, in the successful welds, in the competitive fire for the High Mileage Vehicle to advance further in the competition than last year’s car. “I want it to be beautiful,” she said. Veronica is driven to make the most of every opportunity, because she knows that she can’t take them for granted.
Mr. Fuentes described that drive in detailing Victoria’s contributions in Engineering Capstone. “It is a rare pleasure to recommend a student who possesses both the precision of an engineer and the vision of an artist. Having served as Victoria’s Engineering Capstone instructor…I have had the unique opportunity to witness this combination firsthand as she approaches the fields of architecture and engineering with a deep respect for both their historical foundations and technical demands. From the first day of the course, Victoria distinguished herself as a primary innovator, specifically through her leadership on our new high-mileage vehicle frame for the 2025–2026 school year. By conducting exhaustive research into the competition rulebook and analyzing the successes and failures of past iterations, she has drastically elevated our entire design process, ensuring that every decision is backed by data and a commitment to excellence…Victoria’s technical contributions this year have been transformative, particularly her strategic redesign of the vehicle’s chassis and aerodynamics. She engineered a larger cockpit to provide the necessary clearance for a rack-and-pinion steering system—a significant mechanical upgrade over previous welded-tubing designs. Furthermore, she pioneered the use of a polycarbonate wrap for the frame to optimize airflow and reduce drag on the track, showcasing a sophisticated understanding of aerodynamics. Victoria is a tireless worker who ensures that every physical cut and weld on her prototype is executed to perfection. She is a reliable collaborator and a brilliant sounding board for new ideas, making her a student I can count on every day of the week to lead our team toward success.”
To close, I just want to highlight that Victoria credits her parents for her drive and sense of purpose, as they lovingly pushed her to do hard things. “They pushed me FOR ME,” she said, distinguishing them from parents who push their children to fulfill some needs of their own. “I love that it’s working out,” she said. “I am loving this payoff for them as well as for me.” So are we, Victoria. Thank you for all your contributions to Maine West, and for showing what it means to be 207’s Best.