Meet Artist, Athlete, & Chemist Victoria Pipinich
Resident Renaissance Person on Campus...
Hi, team. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Renaissance People – the folks who are athletes and artists – and how they move among us with more frequency than we might expect. Think less unicorn, more work horse. Special for sure, but damn do they take care of business. The thing about Renaissance People: they’re not overly impressed with themselves, and they don’t need you to be impressed either. They’re too busy learning and being curious and doing cool stuff to think about something as pedestrian as their “image.”
I’m thrilled to introduce you to one such Renaissance Person today. You can spot Victoria Pipinich from across campus, often by her signature red cowboy boots. Hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, Pipinich — Pip, as she is affectionately known — is a senior honors student, chemistry major, and math minor at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. She is president of the senior class, captain of the field hockey team, and a member of the track and field team. In the summers of 2023 and 2024, she conducted research on campus. In 2023, she won the Outstanding Chemist award and was also named Alma Mater of her class. In high school, she broke the school record for the 800M and was the 2019 National Arts Honor Society artist of the year. The takeaway: her athlete and artist roots run deep. I had an opportunity to chat with Pip earlier this fall, and our excerpted conversation appears below.
What kind of art do you make? What kind of athlete are you?
I create paintings. Painting really helps me decompress and destress. I am a dual-sport athlete at Wittenberg. I am the captain of the field hockey team and I also run track & field in the winter and spring seasons.
When and how did you realize that making art and being an athlete were important or meaningful to you?
I realized at a pretty young age when both art and athletics made me so incredibly happy. I loved painting in my art classes, and I loved being active. Through these two activities I have met some of my closest friends!
Were those interests ever at odds? Did you feel like you had to choose one over the other?
Yes. I was always told that I couldn’t excel at both arts and athletics. There’s that famous saying that states “A jack of all trades is a master of none.” And that’s usually all that is said. But there’s a second part to the saying that often gets unsaid, “But a master of none is better than a master of one.” This quote was told to me by one of my favorite coaches in high school and has stuck with me for years. I feel we are often told that we will never excel at anything if we never focus on one thing. However, I believe the most successful people are the most well-rounded and those that learn from experiences. I used to be afraid of “failing” or embarrassing myself trying something new. Today, I love to try everything and anything my university provides for the sheer experience of it.
How has your experience as an athlete informed your art, and vice versa?
Art has taught me patience and detail orientation, where athletics has taught me resilience and perseverance. Both activities have helped me in everyday life and academics.
Any advice for young people trying to balance both interests?
Do it all! Do what makes you happy and do it well. There is no reason to choose one hobby, be a jack of all trades.
Extra Innings: Any book, music, film, or video recommendations for us?
My absolute favorite movie is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off :) (I am sure most of you all have seen it, but it never gets old).
Once described as “too whimsical” to pursue the sciences professionally, Victoria is currently applying to PhD programs in Chemical Engineering.
To quote the famous philosopher Ferris, “The question isn’t ‘What are we going to do?’; the question is ‘What aren’t we going to do?’” Good luck, Pip! We can’t wait to watch your adventures unfold.