Emira knows what it’s like to doubt yourself. She grew up in Tuzla, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and moved to Veles less than a month before she started high school. And even though she was excited she’d get to live closer to her siblings, anyone would find such a big move jarring – especially if they’re 14. At the beginning, she didn’t “appreciate herself,” and often felt like nothing she did worked. 

The journey to more self-confidence largely came out of her desire to make friends. In her new class in Kocho Racin, Emira was quickly welcomed and accepted. But wanting to further understand the “new” Veles, she jumped into basically everything that was available to her. She signed up to volunteer for the Red Cross, to participate in workshops, to join in on walks or coffee runs, all with the intention to better meet her peers. So, she quickly learned about both the people around her and the issues they face.

Emira, above all, wants to help solve some of those issues. Walking through Veles, she keeps saying hi – to other high school students, who she chats with about the Union of High Schoolers (where she’s Vice-President), to Red Cross volunteers, with whom she discusses future humanitarian actions, and even just to friends in the area, who she talks with about love, movies and music. Because she knows what’s on the mind of the people around her, Emira easily offers concrete suggestions for needed reforms. To improve education in Veles, for example, she recommends access to practical education opportunities (like labs), scholarships for further education, and an opportunity for genuine student activism.

I don’t want to give you the impression that she’s good at everything, because she isn’t. In the past few years, she’s faced a number of challenges and seen several of her initiatives fail. She also applied to UWC last year, but disappointingly wasn’t invited to the final interview. But it’s precisely because she’s seen both outcomes – she’s experienced the feeling of doubt and failure, as well as the rush of a successful plan – Emira knows that, with enough confidence, she really can succeed. 

In the future, she’d like to be a forensic scientist. She thinks that’s a good combination of her interests in biochemistry and puzzles. In the meantime, she’ll be leaving to join another Veles native – Marko – at UWC East Africa in Tanzania. I’m sure that, very quickly, her desire to help will make her a core part of the community there, too.

Bobo, July 2022