War refugee graduating with degree

This University graduate credits her success and her decision to become a teacher to the principal of her high school. She came here as a 10 year old refugee, struggled with poverty, learned a language, put up with discrimination and bullying and now has graduated with honors. DP

Calls principal ‘inspiration'; she will be a teacher herself

By Kelly Soderlund, The Journal Gazette

journalgazette.net: By the age of 10, Nidzara Sakinovic had already lived with her family of five in a tent made for two, gone a month without food and saw her home destroyed.

Her family fled their home in Bosnia in 1993 to escape the war and spent three years in refugee camps in Croatia. There were times when the Sakinovic family lived with 800 people in a henhouse meant to hold 400 refugees.

There was one month when they ate nothing but chocolate and crackers. That was a welcome reprieve from the month before when there was no food sent to the secret camp. The family of five also spent six months living outside under a grapevine before moving up in the world to a tent made for two.

Sakinovic’s father, Ramo, said the proudest moment of his life was when an American ambassador shook his hand and said “Welcome to the United States.” Ramo Sakinovic will have another proud moment today when his oldest daughter graduates from the University of Saint Francis with a degree in education and special education.

Nidzara Sakinovic, 23, is one of 458 Saint Francis students walking across the stage today during the ceremony, 2 p.m. at Memorial Coliseum. Former National Public Radio journalist and current host on XM Public Radio, Bob Edwards, is the keynote speaker and will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.
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