The Hastor Foundation can boast off with diligent, ambitious and successful scholarship holders who achieve remarkable success in the field of education and science. The Hastor Foundation is comprised of young volunteers who contribute to its mission with their knowledge and skills. Exactly these values and this dedication to volunteer work is what we reward month after month with the title of the Scholarship Holder of the Month to our scholarship holders. Continue reading to learn more about the scholarship holder of this month—Kerim Sirovica.
Just as we already mentioned, under the rubric “Scholarship Holder of the Month” we bring you inspiring stories about our scholarship holders who have been especially dedicated to volunteerism in the Foundation, but quite often in other non-profit organizations as well. This month we bring you the story of Kerim Sirovica—a scholarship holder who noticed and cherished his gift for languages from a young age.
I already knew in high school that learning languages will be my calling in life and dealing with languages my future profession, and that’s why I decided to go for the languages department in Edhem Mulabdić Grammar School of Maglaj. The fact that I felt I had a gift for languages—especially for English and German—pushed me to continue my education in the Department for German Language and Literature at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Zenica. My goal is to perfect my knowledge of German and become a court interpreter for the German language.
Kerim also highlights the fact that regular exercise is important to him and briefly explains the positive influence physical activity has on his mental health.
I like to play sports in my free time. I’ve been training football from a young age, and for me it’s been a way of relaxing myself. In my opinion, every type of physical activity is great for our physical and mental health because we clear negative energy from our body and mind in that way.
Close friends have an extremely important role in the lives of all of us. It’s great to know that you have their support in good and bad moments. Many scholarship holders feel that support in the Hastor Foundation itself, and they strive to contribute to the Foundation’s mission and expand the scope of its reach. Kerim is one of the volunteers who gained their first experience in translation through volunteering in the Hastor Foundation’s Translation Team, making, in that way, the stories of success and numerous achievements of our scholarship holders accessible to the German-speaking readership. Kerim emphasizes the fact that volunteer work in the Translation Team means a lot to him because he has the opportunity to apply his knowledge and gain experience in translation while still being a student, which will greatly aid him in the future.
Before I became a scholarship holder, I heard from my friends about the work and goals of the virtuous organization that the Hastor Foundation is. I recognized this organization as an environment where I can and want to grow and where I can work on quality self-development. After I became a scholarship holder, I quickly fit into the organization. I try to use every minute in the Translation Team to the best of my abilities, and I can say that I have acquired new knowledge through my translations of the Newsletter and other types of texts. Because I learned so much, I strive to use my free time to practice my translation skills. I feel that in that way I grow myself, and, through working on my skills, I also feel that I’m contributing to the growth of the Hastor Foundation itself, which makes me especially happy and content.
All of us like daydreaming about the future, however, it’s more satisfying to work on making our dreams come true. One of the steps that leads Kerim to realizing his dream are exactly his volunteer activities in the Translation Team, and his goal, besides becoming a court interpreter, is to become a professor as well.
At the end, Kerim has a message for all the Hastor Foundation scholarship holders:
I would advise the younger scholarship holders to use their volunteer hours as best as they can because the ones who benefit the most from volunteer work are us, the scholarship holders. I have been a Hastor Foundation scholarship holder for nine years now, and I can proudly say that I have learned many things during volunteer work, especially the last two years since I have joined the Translation Team.
We wish you good luck, Kerim, on your path to make your dreams come true! The Hastor Foundation will always stand with you, just like with every other scholarship holder, as a strong supporter to make your dreams come true and to live your dreams, too.
Prepared by: Hana Kolasević
Translated by: Sara Kuduzović
