Bosnia Youth Leadership Spring 2013: Learning

Students from Bosnia and Herzegovina are having all kinds of new experiences in Seattle.

Over the last two weeks, students and teachers participating in the FIUTS Youth Leadership Program with Bosnia and Herzegovina have visited the EMP, pulled ivy at Golden Gardens, seen the Mariners win, and tried all kinds of new things while getting to know their host families in Seattle. The following blog posts are from students in the group describing some of the new and exciting experiences they've been having.

Learning & Growing - by Maja Cizmic

Maja (front) and Lejla participating in an EarthCorps volunteer project at Golden Gardens.

If you've told me three months ago that I'll be in Seattle walking around the city, I would probably tell you that you are crazy. But here I am experiencing new things and becoming a more mature person. This is something that we don't get a chance to do every day, and for me, this means a lot.

Today one of my small dreams came true. I had a chance to go to the American high school called Chief Sealth International High School, and spend some time there as a student and notice differences between schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina and this one. Here they have 6 subjects and we have 12-26 subjects. They can choose their subjects, and our subjects are determined by law. Students here don't spend the whole day with same people, as we do. The school is equipped very well, and they are able to learn in many different ways.

And I've also met new friends and share our experiences with them. Everything I've ever expected to see there I've seen it today, and I can tell you I'm so happy to be part of this trip.

I'm so grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to learning new things, meet some new friends and as I already said become the more mature person that I am now. :)

Making Connections - by Ilija Trifkovic

Ilija at the Experience Music Project.

What a day! Just came home, very tired, have to write this blog and have no idea what to write about. Today we have done a lot. We have visited many public official institutions, like Seattle City Council, Department of Neighborhoods, City Court, etc., and we had a workshop about networking with Fortunato Vega,  networking “master”.

I really enjoyed Mr. Vega’s lecture! Even though it’s about networking - for most teenagers some boring stuff - about contact, approaching people, behavior, body language, I found it really interesting and learned a lot! Mr. Vega’s lecture helped me and taught me how to approach professionals, leave a good impression, how to network and where, how to keep in touch with people I have just met and last but not least he taught me that the most important skill to make a connection is to listen! I personally think that another important thing is to be yourself and take a sincere interest too, you should be honest!

To be successful in your career you have to know a lot of people, be part of a network and have connections! My opinion is that this workshop will help us in doing our project and also on a personal plan! Besides Mr. Vega, our group has met some other great people, but I have to finish this blog. I hope someone else is going to write about their fun and educational workshops!

The Thing I Haven't Expected - by Amina Hamzic

Photo: Amina (right) and Aldina dressed up to visit Tops Elementary to teach students about Bosnia.

When I first came here I was so convinced that this would never happen to me, that I won’t have culture shock.  But I was wrong. Even though I’m staying with a wonderful family, who accepted me really well and think of me as a member of their own family, and they have also showed me the American life style. And the differences between two different worlds (USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina) are huge, and they cannot be unnoticed.

Today is my 9th day in Seattle and I’m having a big crisis. I feel nervous and scared, because, you know, to come from a small town in Bosnia to Seattle - the city that has more than 1 million people - is definitely not easy. I know that these are characteristics of culture shock, but there is also one more reason for them - and that is my bad decision. That decision was like the cherry on top of the shock. I LIED.  And lying is the thing that should never be done and what is unforgivable because people immediately lose their trust in you. I regret it now and I’m trying my best to fix everything, if that is possible.

But you know the saying: what happened, happened. Right now I’m getting used to all those differences, I’m trying different things like food, etc., and just trying to get over all of that and enjoy my staying here. But what I realized that the best decision is to start accepting the differences and trying to be flexible at the start, even though you don’t believe that you’ll have culture shock. But believe me you never know. So American culture I ACCEPT YOU!

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