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Viktor Sokolyuk: "To help others: an American principle"
Viktor Sokolyuk
Photo: Carol Fouke-Mpoyo
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He came to the United States as a refugee himself. Now the head of a Church World Service resettlement affiliate, Viktor Sokolyuk is helping other refugees build new lives in their new community.
Viktor is one of six former refugees who now head CWS refugee resettlement offices in Fort Worth, Texas; Columbia, South Carolina; Portland, Oregon; Harrisonburg, Virginia; Lincoln, Nebraska, and Denver, Colorado. Here is his profile.
Viktor Sokolyuk
Program Coordinator, Refugee Resettlement Program
Virginia Council of Churches, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Nationality: Ukrainian.
Education: Associate degree in communication.
Profession in the Ukraine: Satellite tower technician and supervisor.
Refugee story: He was granted an exit visa under the Lautenberg Amendment, applicable to individuals from certain religious groups, and in 1989 left the Ukraine for interviews in Austria and Italy, where he was accepted into the U.S. Refugee Program.
Arrived in the United States: February 21, 1990, to Albany, New York, with his aunt and her family.
Sponsor: Episcopal Migration Ministries.
Congregational cosponsor: Pineview Community Church in Albany. "When we walked out of the airplane, there was a large group of people in the airport meeting us. I was very surprised that they were willing to put their time, effort, and money into supporting us. It helped me get on my own more quickly. I thought, 'These people are doing everything because they love God and others. How am I going to pay that back?' Seems like God was paying close attention to my words because not long after, I relocated to Virginia and ended up working with the Virginia Council of Churches Refugee Resettlement Program (VCC)."
First big surprise: "The spirit of volunteerism in the community. I didn't expect anyone to provide anything for us. I was truly surprised that people were willing to do so much to help us to adjust and survive here. I owe them a lot in my life."
Most challenging: "English. I studied German in school and could converse in Italian. In the States, those languages don't work. On the way here, I learned to count to 10, and a few other words."
First jobs: In Albany, house painter (1990) and photo lab technician. In Harrisonburg, poultry plant worker.
Jobs with VCC: Part-time interpreter, full-time caseworker (1992), current position.
Countries visited: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Ghana.
Countries you most want to visit next: "Italy, for the memories; Cuba; Middle Eastern and more African countries."
Family: Wife Valentina and their four children, ages 9-15. Apart from his aunt, uncle, and three cousins, the rest of the family is in the Ukraine.
Languages: Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian; a little German, Italian, and Kazakh.
Heroes: "Those people who gave their lives for the cause of faith, and never gave up and never looked back."
Favorite book: The Bible.
Favorite music: Gospel.
Interests outside of work: "Choir and other church involvements, hunting, hiking, spending time with the kids."
Why should the United States welcome refugees? "It's an American principle to help others. America is a beacon of hope for oppressed people living in an unjust system, and an example of what members of a community can do to help each other."
What is your first counsel to a newly arrived refugee? "Don't assume, and don't use the same 'tools' you've used to this moment. What helped you survive there may not be useful here. For example, here persistence is good, being obnoxious is not – you'll push some good people away from you. Listen to people when they say, 'Do this or that, it will be easier for you.' Be truthful and honest. Don't build up your expectations because later on you'll be disappointed. Think what you can do, and how you can survive on your own. Be realistic."
Sixth and last in a series of articles profiling former refugees who now head CWS resettlement affiliates.
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