Where I’m From: Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Current Hometown: Saint Louis, MO
Favorite Balkan Song: Sve Dok Te Bude Imalo by Dino Merlin (the whole Hotel Nacional album)
Favorite Balkan Dish: Krompirusa
1. Can you start off by telling us a little bit more about yourself? Where are you originally from and where are you currently living?
Hello! My name is Ajla Ahmetovic. I’m currently 22 years old and living in Saint Louis, a place that is home to over 70,000 Bosnians. After escaping the war in Bosnia, my parents and older brother settled in the Netherlands where I was born in April of 1999.
Shortly after I was born, the Netherlands informed my family that we are to either apply to go to the US or get sent back to Bosnia. Nine months later my family got on a plane and ended up in a small town in Wisconsin. My family struggled to feel at home in such a small town with only a handful of Bosnians, so they came down to Saint Louis when I was 4 years old & we’ve been here ever since.
I am one of three children in my family, the only girl, and the middle child. I graduated from Saint Louis University in May of 2021 with my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education. I currently work as a 2nd-grade teacher in the Saint Louis Public School District. Being able to represent my Mulsim, refugee, and immigrant students as an educator gives me purpose for being where I am.
2. What does being first-generation mean to you? Feel free to share any challenges you have faced while growing up in the United States.
Being a first-generation child came with its ups and downs. Our parents sacrificed a lot to give us the best life they could. Our parents worked jobs that nobody wanted to work to provide for us. We never asked for much, but my dad would always say, “if you asked me for a plane, I would do everything in my power to get you it.” As a child, I never understood how different I was in comparison to the other kids. I went to a public elementary school, spoke Bosnian and English, and surrounded myself with Bosnian friends. I’m thankful that I grew up in Saint Louis because it wasn’t hard for me to find those who were just like me. Once I started middle school it became apparent to me that I am a first-generation student and that became hard.
I was always a good student because school came easy to me, but even as a good student, I struggled to understand some academic concepts. The difficult part of this was not being able to ask my mom and dad for help when it came to school. My mom didn’t complete much education before the war, and my dad was on the road 5/7 days of the week. They didn’t understand what I was learning, therefore couldn’t help me much. I had to learn a lot on my own throughout high school and college. Taking AP classes, transferring credits, signing up for classes, applying for colleges, FAFSA, switching majors, all of that was new to my family, therefore it ended up being my responsibility.
Being first-generation means growing up with a lot more responsibility than the other kids. Taking care of siblings, picking up around the house, calling phone companies for bill issues (we have all been there). It made me responsible for myself and my actions from a young age, and I am very thankful for that. I pray Allah swt rewards our parents for doing everything they could for us, for setting aside their own goals and aspirations to ensure we reach our own.
3. When did you first become interested in photography and what made you finally take the leap to start your own professional photography business?
Growing up I was always the girl that my friends handed their phones to. They trusted me to take their photos for social media because I knew the angles and would take 200 photos every. single. time. In high school, I was a part of the yearbook club and took photos at soccer and football games. I also took 2 semesters of photography class because I loved developing film.
I didn’t think much of it, I just knew it was something that others realized I was good at. I was always intrigued by the aesthetic of things and taking artsy photos, but it wasn’t until college that people would tell me, “you should take photos for other people!”. So I took it as a literal statement, went to Best Buy, and bought my first digital camera. I took some photos of friends and family and realized it was something I truly enjoyed. I opened up an Instagram for it in January of 2020 and the rest is history.
4. What do you enjoy photographing the most (portraits, engagement, wedding, etc.)? For all the photographers reading, what camera do you shoot on, and do you have any favorite lenses?
I enjoy photographing couples the most. This could be a casual couples session, engagement, or wedding. The spark between two people in love makes me so happy and being able to capture it with a camera is a blessing. Couples get to see from my perspective what it looks like looking at two people madly in love, and there’s no better feeling. The joy and happiness that radiates from the couples I photograph makes me pause and realize how much I love what I do. I’ve been recently getting more into wedding photography and if it continues being successful I will most definitely focus on that!
For all you photographers out there or people looking into photography, I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark IV and a 50mm lens!
5. Any words of advice for aspiring photographers who might not know where to start? Was there anything that helped you out a lot in the beginning?
If any part of you loves photography and can imagine it being your full-time job, then do it!! I’m still not to the point where I can go full time with photography, but I know if I have the love and drive for it I can and so can you! Create an Instagram account and start posting, take photos of family, friends, and give out free sessions to strangers. Once you have a portfolio, people will start booking and it will simply take off.
Check out the behind-the-scenes of our STL photoshoot with Ajla.
I posted so many photos to Instagram and reached out to profiles with lots of followers seeing if they will repost me. I would give out free sessions all the time for my own practice. I also reached out to other photographers to work with them and get more exposure.
6. How do you believe that we (as diaspora) can continue to keep our culture alive for generations to come?
We need to continue remembering who we are and where we came from. We must use our platforms, jobs, and careers to educate others on what Bosnia is and what our families went through. We need to support those who are still in need in the Bosnian community here and back home. We need to speak to one another, our families, and our children in Bosnian so they never forget the language. Our language is what will connect us when nothing else does.
7. Anything else you’d like to share with our audience?
I once read this and it’s stuck with me ever since, and every time I shorten my name to “AJ” at a coffee shop I am reminded of it. Your parents didn’t immigrate halfway across the world for you to mispronounce your own name so that it fits better in someone else’s mouth. Say your name correctly with pride knowing the history and cultural significance behind it. The least they can do is learn how to say it correctly.