Corporate Scene

Viktoria Izakova Watt

While Viktoria Izakova Watt started playing tennis at the age of five and became a talented athlete, she found her native Slovakia didn’t offer the opportunities in tennis that she wanted. Believing in her talents, her father encouraged her to seek a college scholarship in the United States. Viktoria’s mom, however, was cautious about her leaving because Viktoria spoke little English, and she would be thousands of miles away from home. Viktoria made up her mind and decided there was no turning back. In 2015, Viktoria’s dream came true, and she received a tennis/academic scholarship to Stillman College in Alabama. In 2016, she transferred schools and continued her scholarship at Benedict College in Columbia. A top-rated student-athlete, she graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 2018.

Viktoria was an accomplished collegiate tennis player and balanced her time well between tennis, paid internships, and academics. Her scholarship allowed for on-campus housing and meals during the academic school year; however, the summers were a different story. She continued to work, but not having a car, she walked or rode her bike. In 2018, a host family came to her aid by sharing their home, their love, their family, a car, and knowledge about how to accomplish everyday living in a different country.

After graduation, Viktoria hoped to stay in America and applied for a H-1B Visa for highly educated foreigners to work in specialty fields. With the pandemic, the process became slower, and eventually, the borders closed indefinitely. While her circumstances were frustrating, Viktoria never lost hope. It was during this time that she met her future husband.

In 2019, Viktoria joined Scott and Company CPAs and says the firm has been instrumental in her professional growth by teaching her valuable skills and giving her hands-on experience. Viktoria was recently promoted to Senior – Assurance and Advisory Services. In the near future, she plans to become a certified public accountant and eventually would like to become a member in the firm. Viktoria is proud that her family supports her 100 percent, and she is so appreciative of the sacrifices they made to help make her dreams come true.