Virginia grew up in Bladenboro, North Carolina, a small town near the North Carolina coast. Her mother worked as a nurse for almost 30 years before transitioning to a nurse manager position. Her father worked as a mechanic for nuclear power plants until he eventually worked as a mechanic and repair planner at a Campbell Soup plant until his death. Virginia attended the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) for her junior and senior years of high school. This residential public high school has a mission to advance the state of North Carolina by bridging the gap in education disparities between North Carolina public high schools and the exemplary high education system. Virginia graduated NCSSM with honors. While a student at NCSSM, Virginia worked in the library to help other students with research related topics.

Virginia attended Salem College, a small women’s college, for her undergraduate degree. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in British Literature and a minor in Criminal Studies. She was directly involved in the several open houses that Salem College hosted during her college years. Later on, Virginia thoroughly enjoyed working with Admissions for Salem College and even became a tour guide for the school during her junior year. Virginia was well known for her ability to connect with high school students while also understanding the concerns from parents which made her very popular for tours. During her senior year, Virginia was one of two co-chairs over student admissions as well as a student on the scholarship committee. If you look close enough, you might find Virginia in some Salem College advertisements. Virginia spent her free time in college volunteering at the Forsyth Humane Society.

Directly after undergraduate, Virginia attended law school at the University of Louisville Brandeis College of Law. During her time in law school, Virginia focused on the area of criminal defense. She interned in the summers of both her first year and second year with the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, which is the statewide public defender program. During her first summer, Virginia worked in a trial office learning from exceptionally skilled lawyers. During her second summer, she worked in the post-conviction unit assisting on death-row cases. Virginia also clerked during her third year of law school with the Louisville Public Defender Office, where she also had a separate externship with a trial clinic. While in law school, Virginia was an officer of the Women’s Law Caucus. Virginia graduated law school with honors.

In her third year of law school, Virginia accepted a position with the Colorado Public Defenders Office. She was placed in Grand Junction, Colorado, after law school. She worked as a public defender for four years, the last two as the office's primary juvenile defense attorney.

Virginia is an avid reader who reads more than 50 books a year. She is a foodie who enjoys cooking and also traveling to find delicious food. Virginia is a self-described “nerd” due to her membership in two separate Dungeon and Dragon leagues. When Virginia isn’t reading, cooking, or playing Dungeons and Dragons, she enjoys spending her time with her boyfriend, her small dog and her large cat.