Superintendent’s Spotlight: Victoria Kuklov

Warwick Valley Middle School fifth grader Victoria Kuklov is a force at everything she does. Whether she’s racing through a slalom course, scoring points on the tennis court, landing her Axel or performing music on stage, she finds joy in pushing herself and celebrating each new milestone.

Kuklov began piano, singing, figure skating and tennis lessons when she was just 4 years old, and hasn’t slowed down since. Over the years, she’s added ski racing, saxophone and Russian language studies to the mix, continuing to grow both as an artist and an athlete.

Her passion for music continues to flourish. She has earned perfect NYSSMA piano scores two years in a row, joined the WVMS band as a saxophone player and sings in the school’s chorus. This past June, she performed on the saxophone at the Pollinator Festival, sharing her love of music with the community.

“I like sax because it’s jazzy,” she said. “Both hands play the same melody — unlike piano!”

This year, her musical goal is to earn a solo in chorus.

Balancing all her interests may seem like a lot, but for Kuklov, it’s simply part of her everyday rhythm. Each day is filled with lessons, practices and rehearsals – all carefully balanced with her schoolwork.

“I don’t even remember why I started it all – it was such a long time ago,” she said. “Sometimes I think I’m done, but then I remember why I love it and keep going.”

She said she appreciates the feeling of accomplishment that comes with hard work.

“I love how it feels to land a jump or hit a ball with a tennis racket and get a hard shot,” she said. “And I love being with my coaches. They’re really fun. They keep me pumped up and make me work hard.”

Thanks to her discipline, Kuklov has achieved impressive milestones in sports over the past year. This summer, she trained at Rafael Arutyunyan’s Olympic-level figure skating academy in California — the same coach who trained Olympic gold medalist Nathan Chen. She also worked with world-class coaches, including three-time Olympian Todd Eldredge.

During that trip, she had a breakthrough moment.

“I was ready to quit skating because of the Axel,” she said. “But then I landed it in California and now I love the sport more than ever, and I’m working on double jumps.”

Shortly after, she won first place at the Garden State Games in New Jersey, qualifying for the 2026 State Games of America.

She’s also an accomplished tennis player, winning a United States Tennis Association (USTA) Green Ball tournament in May 2025. But above all, skiing is her favorite sport. As a natural thrill seeker, Kuklov loves the feeling of speed.

“Sometimes I’m a little bit cautious,” she explained. “But in skiing, I love to just go fast. It’s so fun.”

She was a podium finisher at the U10 NJ Ski Racing Association Championship, proudly representing Mt. Peter as her home base.

Her adventurous spirit doesn’t stop with sports. She loves to travel with her family and recently visited Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, where she got an up close encounter with all types of marine life, including penguins, giant turtles and sea lions.

“We went snorkeling and sea lion went up to my dad,” she said. “He twisted his head, like, ‘Do you want to play with me?’”

At school, Kuklov is looking forward to joining the varsity ski and tennis teams in the future and hopes to make All-County band. She’s also excited to explore cooking in the WVMS Home and Careers class. Beyond Warwick, she dreams of skiing in Russia and visiting Moscow one day.

As for the future, her dreams are as wide ranging as her talents.

“I might be a tennis player at the U.S. Open,” she said. “Or maybe an orthodontist making happy smiles.”

Through it all, Kuklov remains grounded by the people who support her most.

“I care about my family, my friends, my teammates and my coaches — they make everything more fun,” she said. “I always try to do my best as a way of giving back to my family, because they give so much to me.”