Meet Victoria Flores, our ambassador for the 2025 spring/summer term at McMaster University Libraries.
The university libraries’ student ambassador program was developed to help students navigate services and spaces at the libraries by planning events, supporting social media initiatives, and teaching students about the many ways McMaster libraries can support their learning.
Victoria joined the ambassador program in January for our winter term and will continue with us this summer.
As she completes her second year as a student in the Life Science program, we caught up with Victoria to chat about why she wanted to represent the libraries, where her favourite study spots can be found, and what she has planned for this summer.
Why did you want to be a libraries ambassador?
As a student who has benefited so much from the social media content made and events hosted by ambassadors and staff at McMaster, I wanted to be part of the incredible team at our libraries. I am passionate about McMaster and our student body, and being able to host events and make social media content that helps new and returning students is really rewarding. I applied to be a libraries ambassador specifically because I love our libraries, #TeamThode, and getting to represent my favourite parts of McMaster is a dream come true.
Where is your favourite space in the libraries and why?
I have two favourite spaces in our libraries, one at Mills and one at Thode. At Mills, I love Lyons New Media Centre. It’s a great place to study with comfy chairs and a huge window. I love the amount of natural light that comes in. I can easily and comfortably spend hours studying in Lyons, and the staff is always so nice and welcoming. At Thode, my favourite space is right next to the Reactor Café, where the fireplace is. It is super cozy, comfortable, and convenient. Whether I want to study, sit and hangout with a friend, or just sit on my own reading a good book, it’s a perfect spot.
What is something you learned about our libraries since becoming an ambassador?
Before I became an ambassador, I thought I knew a lot about our libraries and the services available. It turns out, I barely knew anything! I have learned so much since starting this position, but I think the best thing I learned about our libraries so far has been how much we can do as students with what’s included in our tuition. At Lyons, there are multiple recording booths with super cool equipment; there’s even a Virtual Reality room. At Thode Makerspace, they have everything from 3D printers, to sewing machines, to even laser cutters. I had no idea the amount of tools we had access to, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of them to learn some new skills, or practice old ones.
What is your favourite thing to do on summer weekends?
My favourite thing to do on summer weekends is go to the beach with my mom and my dog. Where I live (shout-out Sarnia, Ontario) there is a park called Canatara that has a bunch of trails and a nice beach. My mom and I like to take my dog out on little walks at the park and sit by the beach listening to music, reading, and getting some sun. I love being outside and getting to appreciate how beautiful nature is, and the beach is my favourite place to do so.
What's something you're passionate about outside of school?
I have a lot of things I’m passionate about outside of school, from books to baking to fitness to shows, movies, music and video games; but my main thing I’m into at the moment is the classic 2-month Minecraft phase, which is super inconvenient when I’m trying to focus on studying for exams. Other than that, I like to bake my own bread, I’m currently rereading The Hunger Games series (this time in Spanish), trying to hit a new bench personal record, listening to Epic: The Musical on repeat, and rewatching The Flash TV show.
