HOMECOMING - Robert Morris University

STUCKIN THEMIDDLEIt can be an exciting adventure, greeting theday It can in an be exotic an exciting European adventure, locale no greeting touristthehas day ever in heard an exotic of. Sometimes, European locale maybe no too touristexciting. has ever heard of. Sometimes, maybe tooexciting.As a United Nations observer in postwarKosovo, As a United Julie Woloshin Nations observer '03 used in to postwar be joltedout Kosovo, of bed every Julie Woloshin morning by '03an used angry to be phone joltedcall out from of bed the every town mayor, morning threatening by an angry to phonelaunch call from an armed the town assault mayor, against threatening his rivals. tolaunch an armed assault against his rivals.It was 2008, and the Moon Township native was stationed inViti, It a was town 2008, of about and the 59,000 Moon in Township rural southeast native Kosovo. was stationed At the intime, Viti, nearly a town a decade of about had 59,000 passed in rural since southeast NATO bombed Kosovo. Serbia At theto stop time, its nearly army a from decade crushing had passed a rebellion since in NATO the breakaway bombed Serbiaprovince. to stop U.N. its army workers from like crushing Woloshin a rebellion were spread in the across breakawayKosovo, province. trying U.N. to cool workers tensions like Woloshin between the were ethnic spread majority acrossAlbanians Kosovo, and trying the to minority cool tensions Serbs, between who consider the ethnic Kosovo majority theirhistoric Albanians homeland.the minority Serbs, who consider Kosovo theirhistoric homeland.When Kosovo declared independence that February, thingsgot When even more Kosovo tense. declared In Viti, independence Serb municipal that workers February, thingsblockaded got even themselves more tense. in In their Viti, office Serb in municipal protest. The workers town'sAlbanian blockaded mayor themselves fired them, in their but they office ignored in protest. him. The Armed town'slocal Albanian Serbs gathered mayor tried around to fired the office them, to but "guard" they ignored it. him.Armed local Serbs gathered around the office to "guard" it.Suddenly, Viti threatened to become the next Balkantinderbox. Suddenly, In the Viti middle threatened of it to all become was one the U.N. next worker Balkanwhohad tinderbox. only just learned In the middle to speak of it the all language. was one U.N. And she worker waswhostarting had only to get just some learned rather to unnerving speak the language. phone calls. And she wasstarting to get some rather unnerving phone calls."The municipality here really wanted to flex its muscles andoccupy "The that municipality building," here says really Woloshin. wanted "My to boss flex its told muscles me, 'You andhave occupy to hold that it until building," Serbia says has Woloshin. its elections "My in May.' boss told Every me, 'Yousingle have day to at hold 7:30, it until the mayor Serbia would has its be elections calling in me, May.' waking Every meup, single screaming, day at 'We're 7:30, the going mayor in the would building be calling today!'" me, waking meup, screaming, 'We're going in the building today!'"This was not the kind of morning the social sciences majorhad This in mind was not when the she kind signed of morning up for the study social abroad sciencesprogram. major had Woloshin mind was when an accomplished signed up hurdler for the study who cameto RMU abroad on program. a track scholarship. Woloshin was She an joined accomplished the honorshurdlerprogram who came as a freshman, to RMU on and a track started scholarship. to think about She joined a career theinbusiness honors or program law. as a freshman, and started to think abouta career in law.But the daughter of a French Canadian mother and Russianfather But also the daughter yearned to of experience a French Canadian the world mother for herself. and Russian- SoWoloshin Cossack spent father a semester also yearned in Paris to experience her junior the year, world studying forat Schiller herself. International So Woloshin spent University. a semester Her perspective in Paris her shifted. junior year, "Irealized studying there at is Schiller more to International life than working University. in an Her office perspective -- onelearns shifted. that "I in realized Paris, when there you're is more enjoying to life than wine working and cheese in anand office. spending One learns time with that people. in Paris, At when that time you're I realized enjoying I wine didn'twant and to cheese get into and the spending corporate time world. with I wanted people. At to experience that time Idifferent realized cultures I didn't and want meet to get people into and the corporate travel." world. IAfter graduation, Woloshin went back to Schiller to earn amaster's wanted in to international experience relations different and cultures diplomacy. and meet She people workedin Brussels and travel." for a international conflict resolution group, thenwas hired as a consultant by the government of Macedonia,Kosovo's After graduation, neighbor to Woloshin the east. A went year back later, to she Schiller took the to earn U.N. apost master's in Viti. in international relations and diplomacy. She workedin Brussels for an international conflict resolution group, thenAnd was soon hired found as a herself consultant shuttling by the back government and forth of between Macedonia, thetown's Kosovo's Serbs neighbor and Albanians, to the south. trying A to year preserve later, a she fragile took truce. the U.N.post in Viti.First she persuaded the Serbs to release government propertyfrom And the soon building, found piece herself by shuttling piece -- first back official and forth stamps, between then thecomputers, town's Serbs finally and a school Albanians, bus. trying She gummed to preserve up the a fragile mayor's truce.plan to fire the Serbs, by arguing he hadn't given them therequired First she three persuaded days' notice. the Serbs Hurdle to by release hurdle, government she helped property Viti-- and from Kosovo the building, -- make piece it to the by piece finish – line. first Moderates official stamps, won thenSerbian computers, elections. finally The a United school States bus. She and gummed most of Europe up the mayor'srecognized plan to fire Kosovo's the Serbs, independence, by arguing even he hadn't if Serbia given still them theformally required won't. three When days' it notice. was over, Hurdle Woloshin by hurdle, hung she up helped herphone Viti and – and took Kosovo a three-week – make it vacation to the finish to the line. seaside. Moderateswon the Serbian elections. The United States and most ofNow Europe she is recognized a senior democratization Kosovo's independence, officer Kosovo, even if Serbiasupervising still formally 11 international won't. When field it was teams over, covering Woloshin a territory hung upwith her half phone a million and took residents. a three-week Her studies vacation at RMU, to the Woloshin seaside.says, provided excellent career preparation for her leadershiprole. Now "One she of is the a senior reasons democratization I am the youngest officer person in Kosovo, in thisposition overseeing is that the I am effort able to to promote communicate good governance clearly and get and my humanrights principles by supervising 11 international field teamspoint across," she says. "My colleagues may be moreexperienced that cover or a territory intelligent. with But half if it a wasn’t million for residents. those Her studiescommunication RMU, Woloshin skills that says, were provided drilled excellent in at Robert career Morris, preparation Iwouldn't for her be leadership able to present role. "One my knowledge of the reasons and I experience am the youngest asclearly person and in effectively." this position is that I am able to communicateclearly and get my point across," she says. "My colleaguesWhen may not be working, more experienced. Woloshin But is usually if it wasn’t traveling. for those Back homeonce communication a year, but usually skills to that exotic, were exciting drilled destinations Robert Morris, -- IGreece, wouldn't Italy, be Russia, able to Thailand. present my Africa knowledge is next on and the experience calendar. asAll clearly much more and effectively." enjoyable when she doesn't have to takephone calls from the mayor.When not working, Woloshin is usually traveling. Back homeBut once Woloshin a year, has but also usually come to to exotic, love Kosovo exciting and destinations the rest of – theBalkans. Greece, The Italy, generosity Russia, Thailand. and hospitality Africa of is the next people on the struck calendar.her All immediately. much more enjoyable when she doesn't have to takephone calls from the mayor."People are happier. They're more optimistic. They enjoy lifemore. But They Woloshin don't has worry also about come whether to love Kosovo they have and a the car or rest of thehow Balkans. much money The generosity they make. and They hospitality spend more of the time people living, struckdancing her immediately. and singing, spending time with their families. That'swhat's really nice. They deal with life differently, and thattaught "People me a exhibit lot." a passion for life regardless of their conditions.They spend more time living, dancing and singing, spendingWRITTEN time BY with MARK their HOUSER families and friends. That's what's really nice.They deal with life differently, and that taught me a lot."WRITTEN BY MARK HOUSER22 24 • • RMU.EDUROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIONS • 23 • 25