Where I’m From: Novi Travnik, Bosnia
Current Hometown: Miami, FL
Favorite Balkan Song: Zemlja Ljubavi by Nedeljko Bajic Baja
Favorite Balkan Dish: Maslenica
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?
I was born in Novi Travnik, Bosnia. My mom was born in Gornji Vakuf, but I have family in Bugojno and Mostar. I was born with a congenital heart defect, which basically means I had holes in my heart that were too large to close on their own. I needed surgery to repair them, but because of the war, I was not able to get the open-heart surgery I needed. I was told I wouldn’t live past the age of two. But being the amazing woman she is, mom did not give up. She did everything she could and traveled miles for me to see a doctor.
Finally, a nonprofit organization saw my photo in a hospital and was able to find me and my family. They focused on helping children from the Balkans by providing them with an opportunity to come to the United States and receive any surgeries they needed. Of course, with the war going on, they’d stopped doing this. I was the last child they helped during that time. My mom and I traveled to the US for a few months for me to get open-heart surgery. We returned to Bosnia and then a few years later, my family and I moved to Clearwater, FL. That’s where I grew up but now, I am currently living in Miami.
2. What was it like growing up in the United States as a refugee? Feel free to share any challenges you faced.
I came to the States at a young age, so I think it was easier for me. I started school here so learning English wasn’t too hard. I mainly experienced other kids not understanding where I came from or why the lunch I brought to school was strange. I was fortunate with living in a diverse area, where many others around me were children of immigrants as well. But I do think it was much harder for my family. I remember my sister being shy as a kid with others because everything was so unfamiliar to her. Also, I constantly see how my mom isn’t respected because of her accent.
But I think one of the challenging things is that I look and sound American, but the moment someone hears my name, it’s the whole, “Oh that’s an interesting name, where is that from?” Once I say Bosnia, I get the confused face of not knowing where that country is on the map. Then it’s the dilemma of, “Okay, so now do I give a brief history lesson?”
3. Have you found that your Balkan heritage has always remained at the forefront of your life or have you had times where you’ve tried to hide parts of yourself in order to “fit in” with everyone else?
I think I went through phases. A phase of being quiet about where I came from and then another phase of being extremely proud. It can be hard for not only the children of the Balkan diaspora, but just children of immigrants in general. You’re too American for your own culture but too foreign for Americans. It’s hard to fit in with either. In the past, I have hidden parts of myself that make me foreign with my American friends. But I have also hidden the Americanized parts of myself with my Bosnian friends to seem more Bosnian. It’s a hard balance but I think eventually I decided both parts are what makes me who I am. I am proud of where I came from and where I am now.
4. We saw that you have an Instagram account @pieceofchemistry where you outline what it’s like being a third year PhD chem student at the University of Miami. What has it been like working in STEM, especially being an immigrant woman?
Yes! I first started this account as a creative outlet to show the science things I did in lab that I found interesting. But now I am trying to be that example and representation of a scientist that I wish I had when I was younger. A PhD in STEM is hard, honestly pursuing any degree is hard. But it’s especially hard being a first-generation student like many immigrants are. We don’t have the guidance or mentorship like many others around us are fortunate to have. Academia can be a stressful environment and without the right mentorship, it’s very easy to get lost and feel burnout.
Now, being a woman in STEM is challenging. I constantly feel like I have to work harder to prove myself much more than my male colleagues. I’m often the only woman in the room and I feel like I’m overlooked. My skills and knowledge of chemistry have been questioned despite having the training and education. But I think things are slowly changing, there is more exposure of women in STEM that is influencing and inspiring the younger generation.
5. How do you believe that we (as diaspora) can continue to keep our culture alive for generations to come?
I think sharing each other’s stories through platforms like Balkan Bred is so important. Many of us have gone through so much trauma that it is very easy to just hide it and move on. It’s harder to share with others what makes us different and what we have gone through. But it is so important that we do just that. The future generation will not be able to learn without these stories. My little sister and nieces were born in the States, but we try to keep the culture alive by constantly playing our music, making our favorite Balkan food, and sharing our stories from the motherland.
One simple thing we can do is document things. Learn your grandma’s recipe for hurmasice, even if you don’t cook. Learn the words to your parent’s favorite song. Write down your journey even if you are not ready to share it, your future children might treasure it. To put it simply, we’re the only ones that can keep our culture alive, no one else will do it for us.
6. Anything else you’d like to share with our audience?
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According to our birth certificates, my sisters and I were born in three different countries: my older sister-Yugoslavia, me-Bosnia, and my little sister-US.
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My sister is in the process of starting a nonprofit organization that will help provide supplies to schools in the Balkans.
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I haven’t been back to Bosnia in a few years, but I hope to go soon.
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I have a B.S in chemistry from Florida State University.
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I am planning on eventually transitioning to industry to work as a research scientist.
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If you’re in STEM/academia or simply have science questions, please reach out, I would love to connect!!