Refugee experience inspires WVU retiree’s gift to aid international students

Doina Jikich, retired executive director of International Students and Scholars Services at WVU, established the Doina Jikich Scholarship to support international undergraduate and graduate students. Her gift reflects a lifelong commitment to helping students navigate the challenges of studying far from home. (WVU Photo)

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For Doina Jikich, the inspiration to support international students at West Virginia University began with a journey shaped by hardship, resilience and gratitude. Now retired and living in Daytona Beach, Florida, she is creating opportunities for a global community with a scholarship gift to benefit WVU international students.

Jikich earned a law degree from the University of Bucharest in 1972 before she and her husband, Sinisha, fled Communist Romania in 1983 in search of freedom and opportunity. Arriving in Western Europe as refugees, they had to start over in an unfamiliar country.

While the couple waited in a refugee camp in Vienna, Austria, they faced one of the most agonizing challenges of their lives: being separated from their young daughters. Through the assistance of U.S. Congressional leadership and the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, the family was eventually reunited while living in Jacksonville, Florida.

Doina Jikich, retired executive director, International Students and Scholars Services at WVU (Submitted Photo)

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The moment they finally embraced their daughters at John F. Kennedy International Airport became a definitive turning point.

"That reunion changed the trajectory of our lives," Jikich said. "It instilled in me a profound gratitude for the opportunities provided by the United States."

Inspired to give back, Jikich earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of North Florida. The family later moved to Wyoming, where she taught government and social studies at the University of Wyoming while her husband completed a doctorate in engineering.

When his career brought their family to Morgantown, Jikich joined WVU, beginning 30 years of dedicated service to the University's international community. During her tenure, she served as immigration director of what is now the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and co-instructor for the WVU College of Law Immigration Clinic . She retired in 2019 as executive director of International Students and Scholars Services in the WVU Office of Global Affairs .

Purinton House, home to WVU Global Affairs, serves as a hub for international students and scholars on campus. Former International Students and Scholars Services Executive Director Doina Jikich recently established a scholarship to support international students, inspired by her own journey as a refugee and immigrant. (WVU Photo)

Her legal training and personal experience as an immigrant uniquely positioned her to help international students navigate complex regulations, cultural adjustments and unexpected personal challenges. Throughout her career, she saw firsthand the emotional and complex burdens many international students carry.

In one case, Jikich worked with the office of then-U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller and the U.S. Embassy to help reunite a WVU student with his wife and daughter, who were displaced in a refugee camp in Sudan. Five months later, she stood at the Morgantown Municipal Airport as the family reunited, a moment that reflected her own family's experience.

"It reinforced my conviction that international students face unique burdens that require both professional expertise and deep personal empathy," Jikich said.

Post-retirement, Jikich remains deeply connected to the students she spent decades serving. In 2023, she made a $10,000 gift to establish the Doina Jikich Scholarship, which supports international undergraduate and graduate students in any major.

"I had the privilege of working with Doina during her time at WVU," Amber Brugnoli , WVU associate vice president and executive director for Global Affairs, said. " Even after her decades of service to the University, she continues to support and encourage our international students. Her financial generosity will help some of the most vulnerable members of our population have a much stronger chance of success, as they strive to build a better life for themselves and their families."

Financial assistance for international students is limited. They are not eligible for federal aid, and opportunities to work off campus are highly restricted. Jikich created the scholarship to help ease those challenges while also recognizing the determination it takes to pursue an education far from home.

International flags displayed in the Mountainlair reflect the diverse global community at WVU. Retired WVU administrator Doina Jikich dedicated three decades of service to supporting international students and scholars and recently established a scholarship to help students pursuing their education far from home. (WVU Photo)

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"Many of our international students come from nations experiencing violence, hunger and strife," Brugnoli said. "Given the limited funding options available to them, private gifts from people like Doina are critical to ensuring the best and brightest of the world continue to come to West Virginia."

Jikich's family is carrying that same giving spirit and global perspective forward. Daughter Branislava Bell, who earned a Fulbright Scholarship as a WVU student and now works as a U.S. diplomat in Switzerland, has also contributed to her mother's scholarship.

For Jikich, the scholarship is a way to honor the courage of international students, recognize their sacrifices and ensure they feel a sense of belonging.

"My hope is that students know someone believes in them," she said. "That someone understands what it means to leave your loved ones behind and pursue your dreams."

The WVU Division of Student Life honored Jikich as a Hall of Fame honoree in 2024.

The Jikich gift was made through the WVU Foundation , the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.

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