One cold March morning, 6-year-old Viktoria Putintsev ‘05 left life as she knew it behind

Davis, Laura

English

One cold March morning, 6-year-old Viktoria Putintsev ‘05 left life as she knew it behind

DigitalCommons@Linfield

Linfield Magazine Volume 1 Number 3 Winter 2005 Article 2 Winter 2005 New Life Leads to Linfield Laura Davis Linfield College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/linfield_magazine Recommended Citation Davis, Laura (2005) "New Life Leads to Linfield," Linfield Magazine: Vol. 1 : No. 3 , Article 2. Available at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/linfield_magazine/vol1/iss3/2 This article is brought to you for free via open access, courtesy of DigitalCommons@Linfield. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@linfield.edu. One cold March morning, 6-year-old ViktoriaPutintsev ‘05 left life as she knew it behind.It was 1989, and as the Soviet Union collapsedaround them, Putintsev and her family left their homein Ukraine in search of a better life. They immigrated tothe United States, settling in a Russian community inLebanon.“I remember going to school and people’s mouthswere moving but I didn’t know what they were saying,”said Putintsev of Dallas, whose sister, Julia ‘06, was alsoborn in Ukraine. “I had no idea what was going on.”Now, 16 years later, Putintsev has flourished as amass communication honors student and editor-in-chief of The Linfield Review. She manages the studentnewspaper much like the rest of her life, with hardwork, integrity and focus, and balances other responsi-bilities as well. She is an academic assistant in the masscommunication department, a colloquium peer advisor,and a member of Alpha Lambda Delta and SPURShonor societies.“She’s one of our finest students,” said WilliamLingle, professor of mass communication. “She’s takenthe initiative to do practical work as well as academicwork, and excels at both.” Putintsev, named Oregon High School Journalist ofthe Year in 2001, joined the Review staff as a freshmanreporter and worked her way up the ranks to the topposition this year. The journey has bolstered herself-confidence.“I truly believe I can do anything,” she said. “I usedto be shy and timid, and journalism has really smashedall that. I can talk to anybody about anything, andI don’t have a fear of much.”As a sophomore, Putintsev was the youngest of 12Oregon students to earn a prestigious Charles SnowdenInternship, and she spent 10 weeks at The Tri-CountyNews in Junction City. Stints at the Polk County ItemizerObserver and the Grants Pass Daily Courier strengthenedher journalistic skills as well.“One thing I’ve taken away from Linfield is that nomatter what job I get into, whether within my intend-ed major or not, I will have the ability to write and thatwill help me wherever I go,” she said.She’s built strong relationships with a number ofLinfield professors such as Lingle, who is her advisor andThe Linfield Review advisor. “I feel free to come talk to him whenever, and thatwas one of the things I was hoping for when I choseLinfield,” she said. “Not only does he know my name,he knows most everything about me.”During her years at Linfield, Putintsev has devel-oped a strong interest in social work, particularly inLatin American countries, and she has traveled to CostaRica, Cuba, Spain and, in January, Russia. She’s fluent inSpanish, and can understand Russian.Last spring, Putintsev and her family returned toUkraine for the first time in 15 years. She visited thehouse where she lived, and where her aunt andgrandmother still reside. The crowded city and muddystreets were a stark contrast to the idyllic memories ofher childhood.“It was another experience in my appreciation forcoming back to Linfield and realizing, had my parentsstayed there, what different lives we would have had,”she said. “I can’t believe my life turned out this way.Some days I walk through the campus and think, ‘I can’tbelieve that I’m here.’ I thank God that I got this far andI’m grateful to Linfield. I hope one day I can give back.”– Laura DavisTable of ContentsInside Linfield MagazineLinfield has long been known for itsstrong international focus, with over 50 percent of our graduates studying abroad at some time. This issue focuses on international education, its benefits and its importance for greater globalunderstanding. The experiences are varied andrange from students working at an orphanage in Mexico and traveling back in time in Londonduring a January Term class, to the dialogueshared between community members and a visiting Islamic scholar. These are a fraction of the stories our students and faculty could tellbut all share one theme – international educationhas the power to changes lives, both here andabroad. We hope to share more stories with youin the future.— Mardi MilehamOn the covers:Front: Alex Kirk ‘05 set up this photo of himselfwith children in Ghana during a January Termclass in 2004. Back: The Wildcats pose in front of the scoreboardfollowing their 28-21 championship win in Salem,Va. (Sol Neelman photo)W I N T E R  2 0 0 5 -   32  -  L I N F I E L D  M A G A Z I N ELINFIELD MAGAZINENew life leads to Linfield Departments4 A View from Melrose6 Linfield Digest23 Alumni News24 Class NotesFeatures5 Lipkin wins Oregon Book AwardAn adult degree student wins a top award for a play he co-authored.8 Giving students an inside lookFour alumni share their time and expertise with Linfield juniors to give them a glimpse inside a variety of professions. 10 The world is their classroomInternational study broadens perspectives and changes lives. A look at global education, Linfield style.20 A perfect seasonThe Wildcats capture the NCAA Division III football title.Viktoria Putintsev ‘05, editor-in-chief of The Linfield Review, became involvedwith journalism by accident, after inadvertently signing up for newspaper classinstead of yearbook at Dallas High School.Student ProfileEditorMardi Milehammmileham@linfield.edu503-883-2498Assistant EditorLaura DavisGraphic DesignCandido Salinas IIIPhotographyTaylor Anderson ‘05Tom BallardKelly BirdPamela Canady ‘04Laura Davis Steve DipaolaRichard HargreavesMayra HerraTom LoveJulianne Mattson ‘04Kim McGough ‘05Mardi MilehamAbra McNair ‘05Sol NeelmanMelissa Schmeer ‘04Veronica Walker ‘05Latham Wood ‘04Carol WyattContributorsKelly BirdVivian A. BullLisa Garvey ‘86Laura Graham ‘07Peter A. McGrawBeth Rogers ThompsonAdvisory BoardEd GansKerry (Van Wyngarden) Hinrichs ‘96Dick Hughes ‘75R. Gregory NokesSherri (Dunmyer) Partridge ‘86PresidentVivian A. Bull Vice President for College RelationsBruce WyattDirector of AlumniRelationsLisa Garvey ‘86Winter 2005 Vol. 1, No. 3Linfield Magazine is pub-lished three times annuallyby Linfield College,McMinnville, OregonSend address changes to:College RelationsLinfield College900 SE Baker StMcMinnville, OR 97128-6894linfieldmagazine@linfield.edu

New Life Leads to Linfield

Name not available

https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1322&amp;context=linfield_magazine

New Life Leads to Linfield

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

DigitalCommons@Linfield

Name not available