Victor Mendes

Hometown: Newark, New Jersey

School: Science Park High School

Victor Mendes is the eldest of two sons and a first-generation Brazilian-American. Raised in Brazil, he now lives in Newark, New Jersey. In high school, he became the captain of the boys’ soccer team. Passionate about serving, he plans to become an officer in the military and major in Cyber Security. During his junior to senior year summer, Victor participated in several prestigious programs, including the West Point Summer Leaders Experience, the United States Air Force Academy Summer Seminar, and NJ Boys State, where he was elected state party chairman. He also attended the NYU College Access Leadership Institute (CALI) and the UPenn Pre-College Enrichment Program (PEEP). CHCI NextGen introduced Victor to the idea of making a career in Washington, DC, where he now aims to return and work with the National Security Agency.