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Olga’s Story: How a Local Family Came to the Rescue


Olga Vinogradova and her family visit Campbell
President Dr. Jerry M. Wallace and Dr. Dwaine
Greene, vice president for Academic Affairs and
Provost. From left, Leonid Vinogradov, Olga, Tamara
Vinogradova, Wallace, and Greene.

Twenty-two year-old Olga Vinogradova likes everything American. She likes Mary Higgins Clark novels, “Shrek II,” macaroni and cheese, and apple pie. She enjoys hanging out with friends, shopping, sewing, and trips to Washington, DC. Although from Belarus, she speaks flawless English with only the hint of a southern accent. Without the help of a Harnett County family, however, the Campbell University graduate would have been forced to abandon her dream of an American education.

Jim Roberts, director of Campbell’s Physical Plant, first met Vinogradova when she was a freshman attending Campbell on a student visa. It was Vinogradova’s third time in the U.S., having spent 12 weeks over two summers in an exchange program sponsored by the American-Belarussian Relief Organization (ABRO). With the aid of American friends, Cheryll and David Pittman, Vinogradova was able to spend her final year of high school in Clayton, NC, with the hope of going on to Campbell via the International Admissions program.

Everything was going according to plan until Vinogradova’s sophomore year when funding from the Baptist State Convention’s Baptist Foundation suddenly dried up, and she was faced with dropping out of school and returning to Belarus.

“There are better opportunities here,” Vinogradova explained. “Belarus is a democratic Republic, but the United States is a more stable country. You can count on things like getting paid on time.”

Roberts and his wife, Teresa were members of Campbell’s host family program, in which they acted as mentors and sponsors for international students. They decided to do something about Vinogradova’s situation.

“My family sat down and prayed about it and decided that if she wanted to come and live with us, she could,” Roberts said. “We could give her a warm bed to sleep in and help her find ways to pay her tuition.”

Vinogradova translated letters for people, worked part-time in Campbell’s International Admissions Office and at a children’s store in Clayton. She spoke at local churches, where she received love offerings. She also received support from the Buies Creek Kiwanis Club and the Clayton Kiwanis Club, from Memorial Baptist Church where she is a member, and from the Howard Fund, a philanthropic foundation that helps worthy Christian students.

Meanwhile, Vinogradova was becoming a real member of the Roberts family.

“They are very open, huggable, and very nice,” she said. “They have been there for me when I’ve needed them, that’s for sure. They’ve been my parents when my parents aren’t here.”

The Roberts family is also very complimentary about Olga and open to her culture. “We learned that the difference between our two countries is smaller than we thought,” said Roberts. “We are very much alike. Everybody wants what’s best for their children, and I think that’s what we learned from Olga and her family.”

In 2004, Vinogradova graduated from Campbell University with a BBA in international business and was named Outstanding International Business Senior. Although she has landed a job at Southeastern Interiors, an acoustical ceiling and floor covering contractor, Vinogradova is still residing with the Roberts family and planning to pursue her master’s in international business. She would eventually like to work with an international exchange program just like the one that brought her to the U.S.

“I would like to help other children like myself come to this country,” she said. “It has been a great experience for me.”

The daughter of Tamara Vinogradova and Leonid Vinogradov, of Mogilev, Belarus, Olga has a brother, Dimitry, who is 27. While at Campbell, she served as president of the International Students Club and as a member of Circle K, a student organization modeled on the Kiwanis Clubs of America. Vinogradova was also a member of the SAM (Society for the Advancement of Management) Club and was named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges

Jim and Teresa Roberts live in Lillington, NC. They have three children, Sarah, 22, a senior at Mars Hill College; Will, 20, who has also attended Campbell; and Andrew, 18, a senior at Harnett Central High School. Roberts has been director of Campbell’s Physical Plant since 1995.

Founded in 1887, Campbell University is North Carolina’s second largest private institution of higher education and the second largest Baptist university in the world. Located in Buies Creek, NC, just east of the center of the state, Campbell combines academic excellence and Christian commitment.


Bulletin 0183-06/18/04

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