Amra Dedić (23) from Zenica, has been awarded the Best Student title for three years in a row, at the Faculty of Economy of the University of Zenica. Amra finished her third year with the highest grades in all courses. With a three-year GPA of 9.7, she was rightfully awarded the Best Student title. However, Amra doesn’t only excel at formal education, she also decided to invest in her personal growth by taking part in trainings and academies, and taking every opportunity she gets to contribute to her community.
From August to October, Amra worked on implementing her first independent project – remodeling a schoolyard – with the support of the Institute for Youth Development KULT. She wanted to make a small contribution to the school, in appreciation of all the knowledge that teachers share with us. The reactions of Amra’s neighbors and the school administration showed that the communities recognize good initiatives. Everyone found a way to support this action, and create a much more adequate schoolyard where students can spend their time between classes. School officials said that they already have a vision for building on this initiative. They will use the reconstructed schoolyard for building their first outdoor classroom that can be used in the spring.
Amra always used to say that formal education is her priority, and projects and trainings always seem abstract to her. However, her opinion changed when she applied to take part in “Learn, Think and Act!” which she also approached with dedication and eagerness to learn. In the very beginning of the training, Amra struggled because it was her first encounter with methods used during workshops in trainings such as UMiD. But, she quickly realized that she learn a lot of practical things that will prove useful to her in the future.
“Non-formal education taught me different things compared to formal education, and I have to admit that they’re more practical. By that I mean I was able to actually put them to use. I’d say that non-formal education is perhaps even better than formal education when it comes to practical work. I believe that formal education should be the foundation for everything else, but I also think that it should be supplemented with trainings such as UMiD” said Amra, adding that non-formal education places a stronger emphasis on inter-personal relationships, which helped her broaden her horizons and better understand others.
We asked Amra how she manages to balance everything and what she is most proud of. Interestingly, she said that she is most proud of her ability to coordinate her many activities, and that she has never given up an activity she took up. She says her parents and friends know best how she manages to do it all, and she is extremely grateful to them for their understanding, because sometimes her obligations don’t leave her much time to socialize. But, Amra says she more than makes up for it during semester breaks.
In addition to all these activities, Amra finds time to paint, is a member of the Youth Association REaktiv in Zenica, and is currently part of the team launching the first Youth Center in Zenica. She is also attending the Democracy Academy run by Žene za žene International, and working as a tutor for Statistics, Math and other courses.
Her message to young people is to never give up on their dreams and vision, to invest in their education, whether formal or informal, because, as we’re often told, education is the only thing no one can take away from us. Amra advised all young people to apply to take part in the “Learn, Think and Act!” training for young leaders. Applications for this training are open until midnight on Monday. The link to the application form is available at www.mladi.org/myURL/umidobuka.
Leave a comment