Local nonprofit helps fix student's last-minute crisis

Written by Starla Pointer of the News-Register. Originally published February 17, 2026. Reprinted with permission. 

After growing up in rural Yamhill County and spending her freshman year at Linfield University in McMinnville, Jamie Shevchenko was eager to experience other parts of the world and learn about their business practices.

The international business major was accepted for Linfield’s study abroad program at the University of Liverpool, England, one of the McMinnville school’s new international partners. As classes started on the local campus, she counted down the days until her first flight on an airliner and her first experience in another country.

Shevchenko and her mother drove to the Portland International Airport in early September. They checked into a motel near the airport the night before the Linfield sophomore’s early-morning flight.

“It was just for a few hours, and the hotel had security,” recalled Shevchenko, who graduated in 2024 from Amity High School, where she was on the trap team.

When she went to her car the next morning, her backpack was gone. She and her mom realized their vehicle had been broken into and her belongings stolen — including her iPad and laptop computer, clothes, medications and many other necessities for school.

Devastated, they called Michele Tomseth, director of International Programs at Linfield, to tell her Schevchenco wouldn’t be able to make her flight to England. Tomseth assured them the flight could be rebooked. Still, the student wasn’t sure she would be able to go at all.

Back in McMinnville, Tomseth went into overdrive. It happened to be a Friday when Linfield was hosting the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce Greeters program. Tomseth approached some of the Soroptimists who regularly attend that business gathering.

The Soroptimist club’s primary mission is assisting women and girls, especially with bettering themselves through education and training, said Hermina Kann, a member of the organization. She and other members quickly began gathering supplies to make the Linfield student’s trip possible.

They provided Shevchenko with a new laptop, luggage and other items, along with cash.

Shevchenko soon was on her way to England, arriving just a couple days later than two other Linfield students who would spend the fall semester in Liverpool.

Shevchenko enjoyed many new experiences and places in Liverpool, which she called “a very bustling city” — although she missed the Yellow Submarine and other places dedicated to the Beatles, which formed in that city.

“Next time,” she said. “I’m so excited to go back.”

She said she walked around Liverpool as much as she could. The campus, where she lived in a dorm, was 10 minutes from the downtown area. The docks on the River Mersey and the Irish Sea were nearby.

She enjoyed exploring and learning about the relative age of England — very old compared to the U.S. She visited a couple pubs and ate fish and chips, too. She met many people, not only from Great Britain, but also from Australia and other parts of the world, including other regions of the U.S.

Mostly, though, she skipped restaurants and instead shopped at grocery stores. She said she wanted to save her money for travel, instead of dining.

She flew to Italy one weekend, visiting Rome and Milan. She took the train to London another time, and to Scotland, as well.

“I was there to see and do everything,” she said, including “all the touristy things.”

Wherever she went, she observed what she could about business and, especially, farming. She grew up on a farm and is particularly interested in that industry.

The time passed so quickly, she said, but every moment was full.

The places she went were “beautiful, with a certain charm and character,” she said. “I loved visiting old chapels and buildings that are nothing like we’ve ever seen here.”

Shevchenko kept in contact with her family by texting. She said she loved being able to do that, but she also enjoyed her first taste of independence while on the trip.

“Anything seems possible now,” she said. “I’ve been across the pond alone. New things don’t scare me.”

Shevchenko said she remains grateful to the Soroptimist club for the emergency support that made her trip possible. She plans to attend one of their upcoming meetings to thank them in person.

“They were such a blessing,” she said. “They’re my guardian angels.”

She also has a new mission. “I want to pass on that same kind of kindness,” she said.