Horizons Spring 2001 - Bemidji State University

Horizons Page 2
Talent, Determination and Luck
Lead Pair to BSU
Determination
This year, 189 international students
from 34 countries found
their way to the BSU campus.
Each traveled a different road and
tells a unique story on how they
arrived at Bemidji State in search
of a better life through education.
Among the most difficult
would be the journey taken by
Jasmin Mehic, 23, and Kerim
Rizvanovic, 20.
From Bosnia, Mehic and
Rizvanovic survived the ravages
of war, ethnic cleansing, and political
upheaval to enroll in classes
last fall at Bemidji State. Like
many other international students,
they look at education as a road
to achieve personal goals. But
there is more, as they hope the
faculty and equipment will help
develop talents and knowledge
they’ll utilize in rebuilding their
war-torn country and helping to
bring about democratic reform in
their homeland.
As survivors, the pair may appreciate
more than most the smalltown
peace and stability of
Bemidji, having survived four
years of war that ravaged Bosnia
and Herzegovina, including their
home city of Sarajevo.
They also have a special regard
for BSU’s committed full-time faculty
and well-equipped computer
labs, having first begun their education
at the University of Sarajevo
where remaining faculty members
sometimes have to split their time
between two universities to cover
living expenses and as many as
1,000 students vie for the use of
five antiquated computers.
I“ would like to study in the United States
because I want to understand the educational
system, the political system and the economic
system, and when I come back to Sarajevo,
to help move my country to the better
tomorrow, to the world democratic reform.”
Kerim Rizvanovic
Personal determination and talent,
combined with chance and the
generosity of strangers, all played
their part in the chain of events
that landed them at BSU.
Following the 1995 Dayton
Peace Accord that ended the war,
United Nations observers, international
companies and stabilization
forces entered Bosnia to help re-
design and reconstruct
the nation’s
government, military,
educational
systems and
economy. Among
those were a retired
U.S. Army
brigadier general,
Herbert J. Lloyd,
who was working
with a private
company contracted
to train
Bosnia’s new
military forces,
and Don Addy, a
senior vice president
with Caswell
International of Minneapolis.
Mehic was employed with
Lloyd for a year and a half as his
personal driver and translator
while Rizvanovic worked parttime
with Lloyd on logistical matters
over the course of four years.
Mehic said that some of the interpreters
working with Lloyd
asked if he knew of any way to
place them in U.S. universities.
Within two years, Lloyd was
spending all of his free time working
to find scholarship opportunities
for Bosnians and ultimately
was able to place about 30 Bosnian
students in the United States.
In discussions with Addy, Lloyd
told him of his efforts to help
Bosnians and, in turn, Addy contacted
Carl Baer, an old friend
who had recently been named vice
president for university advancement
at BSU.
The students qualified for scholarships,
and were able to come to
BSU. Both students also work on
campus to cover part of their expenses.
Mehic is pursuing a major in
computer information systems
with an economics minor and
would like to find a job with an
American company operating in
Bosnia following graduation.
Learning about economics from a
capitalistic viewpoint is important
to him and something he was unable
to do at Sarajevo.
“In 1998 I became a student in
economics at the University of
Sarajevo, but was unhappy with
the unprofessional and inadequate
faculty in our universities,” he
said. “Our professors were not
brought up under the system of
capitalism and democracy, and
can only teach the old system.”
Kerim Rizvanovic and Jasmin Mehic
As a result, economics lectures
were couched in communist ideology
and the phrase “as Karl Marx
would say” cropped up constantly.
Rizvanovic is a computer science
major, choosing his course
of study based on a strong personal
interest in computers and on
the belief that computer technology
will play a major role in his
country’s development over the
next few critical years.
“I would like to study in the
United States because I want to
understand the educational system,
the political system and the
economic system, and when I
come back to Sarajevo, to help
move my country to the better tomorrow,
to the world democratic
reform,” he stated.
The students say their
homeland’s economy is in ruins.
Good-paying jobs are scarce,
even for well-educated individuals.
Many professionals must
work two or three jobs at a time
just to cover basic living expenses.
Mehic said average
monthly wages in Sarajevo total
about $250 per month and added
that cost of living expenses are
similar to U.S. standards.
In recommending Mehic and
Rizvanovic for scholarship consideration
and explaining the inadequacies
of Bosnia’s university
system, Lloyd told Addy that
Mehic and Rizvanovic had the
most potential and demonstrated
ability among the 60 translators
employed by his organization. He
also noted that the war had cost
them all or most of their possessions
as well as their educational
dreams.
“The universities were rendered
dysfunctional during the
war and most of the faculty fled
to other European countries or are
dead,” he wrote at the time. “The
universities are only now beginning
to recover and the standards
are low. Most European countries
do not recognize a university degree
from Bosnia.”
Mehic and Rizvanovic live in
one of BSU’s residence halls and
say they’ve found everyone to be
very friendly.
“It’s a nice place, and since it’s
a small community without a lot
of distractions that leaves lots of
time to study,” said Mehic, emphasizing
that he appreciates being
able to have easy access to
faculty members.
Rizvanovic has made many
American friends and also enjoys
the multi-cultural aspect of BSU’s
student body. “We’ve gotten to
meet students who’ve chosen to
come here from all over the United
States as well as international students
from all over the world.”
LaMae Hawk, BSU’s director of
international services, said reasons
for attending BSU are diverse
among international students.
“In some cases, of course,
they’re drawn to a specialized
course of study. In many instances
we see family tie-ins where one
sibling comes to BSU and likes it
- so another follows and then another,”
said Hawk. “In some instances
when students arrive at the
airport they’re surprised at how
small Bemidji is and at first they
view it as being sort of isolated.
But in nearly every instance they
grow very fond of the campus, the
beauty of our area and the friendliness
of the people.”
It is a welcome feeling for two
students from Bosnia.