Victoria Boateng was diagnosed with autism when she was three years old and couldn't speak until she was 7 years old. Her gift of djembe helped her to find her voice and motivated her to inspire members of the autism community and autism advocates. Graduating from Western Illinois University in December 2012 with a bachelor's degree in communication and minor in theater, Victoria felt a calling to education and decided to study West African drumming with master drummer Bolokoda Conde and Michael Taylor. Currently, Victoria is a substitute teacher at Old Town School Of Folk Music and drum teacher at Ruth Page Center for the Arts. She is also an apprentice performer/drummer in an all female drum and dance company Ayodele Drum and Dance, She Wolf Sacred Movement, and drum facilitator for Sista Afya black women mental awareness organization. Her passion for education, autism awareness and performing has made her a stand out in the Djembe community as a whole and it is her mission to continue to demonstrate how important disability representation is within the performing arts industry.