Outstanding Scholar Victorieuse Sambao, a Law and Politics major and recently elected the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance (UWSA) president. (Photo courtesy of Victorieuse Sambao/ University of Windsor)
By Lindsay Charlton
Victorieuse Sambao wants to see the world become a better place.
A natural people person, the Law and Politics major was recently elected and started her term as the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance (UWSA) President, and that connection with others drives much of what she does.
“Connecting with people fuels me,” she said. “I love talking, interacting, and helping everyone. I love getting to know people because, at the end of the day, everyone has a story, and if I can contribute to that even a little bit and make your life easier, I’m satisfied.”
Along with being elected President, Sambao is active in on-campus activities.
French is her first language, and she chose to pursue it as a minor to continue strengthening her vocabulary, grammar, and confidence in academic French. Alongside her studies, she also founded the Chapitre Jeunesse du Club Richelieu, the first French club on campus, where she served as co-president.
She recently finished her time as the co-vice-president of the Outstanding Scholars Student Council and served as the UWSA Student Respect and Empowerment Office co-ordinator, helping students with academic and non-academic misconduct cases.
Through her work on campus, Sambao is building toward a future career in law.
“I’m very passionate about justice and advocacy, not only for my peers and classmates, but for anyone who may face injustice,” she said.
Wrapping up her third year, Sambao will be preparing to take the LSAT soon, but in the meantime, she has had experience working on two research projects aligned with her interests through the university’s Outstanding Scholars program.
She had the opportunity to use her language skills on a project with Dr. Emmanuelle Richez, political science professor, on the use of multilingualism in Canadian politics during elections. The work took a deeper look at politicians and their use of language in social media messaging.
“It was interesting to see how a Member of Parliament (MP) would use language to their advantage. A lot of the accounts we collected data from showed noticeable differences between their French and English posts. These differences went beyond language. The design, emojis, tone, and even the focus of the message often changed, with one version sometimes emphasizing a different point than the other,” Sambao said.
She is continuing her work with Richez, exploring Francophone history in Windsor-Essex, including its connections to the region and its historical relationships with Indigenous and Black communities.
In the Department of Criminology and Sociology, Sambao also worked with Dr. Jane Ku as a bilingual research assistant for the Faces of Racism project.
“I basically interview and transcribe the lived experiences of Black, African and Caribbean women in Windsor-Essex, to hopefully develop programs, initiatives and studies,” Sambao said.
“This project opened my eyes to a lot of things that not only affected the Black female community specifically, but also many of the things that go on in the world. There are many things I was already very much aware of but being able to do a deep dive and actually analyze them — understanding and listening to these experiences with the hope of developing programs really enhanced my desire to continue the work I do.”
Outside of school, Sambao serves as a youth minister at her church and spends many winter and summer breaks at workshops. In her free time, she enjoys story-based, world-building games and writing poetry.
While equally engaged on and off campus, Sambao is intentional about how she spends her time.
“I used to really struggle with saying no. When I first started university, I wanted to do everything and be involved everywhere. Over time, I’ve come to understand what my niche is and where I genuinely love to contribute. Whether it’s through clubs, student leadership, research, or my campus jobs, the common thread has always been enhancing our campus community.
I always tell my friends that if they need anything, I will be there. Maybe not always in my fullest capacity, but in a way that still makes them feel supported. I think I’m a very supportive person, and I try to be genuine in every space I enter. Whoever I’m speaking to gets the real version of me, and that is something I never want to change.”