Both our current and former scholarship holders often remind us what a treasure our community of young volunteers is! In this month’s newsletter with pleasure we bring you the story of Aida Durkić who comes from Mostar. Aida started her higher education journey at the Department of Psychology, the Faculty of Teacher Education of the University Džemal Bijedić in Mostar. Aida courageously continued walking on the path of higher education by applying for the Master’s Degree at the already mentioned department, which she successfully completed and got a diploma in psychology.
Aida, when asked about her decision to apply for this major and how her career path went, told us:
I decided to apply for this major because of the lifelong love that I had towards human soul, communication, emotions and relations between people. I’m currently employed in the Kindergarten “Zemzem” where I’ve been working for ten years as a daycare teacher and psychologist. Before being employed on these positions, I gained work experience through volunteer work and internship. I got these positions after I volunteered in the same kindergarten and that would be my message to younger generations: to keep discovering various aspects of their gained knowledge and keep learning at various places until they finally find their inspiration in work.
Aida also shared with us how the Hastor Foundation became a meaningful part of her daily life:
A close friend told me about the Hastor Foundation and I researched more about it through the Foundation’s official webpage. I waited the first chance to apply and the moment I got accepted as a scholarship holder is one of my greatest achievements in life. I also considered that moment to be one of the first opportunities for growth and improvement, both personal and professional.
Aida saw the volunteer work as an opportunity to carry over all the love that she had onto the younger generations in the Hastor Foundation that she became friends with in Mostar. Aida gladly shared with us the aspect of volunteer work that she loved the most:
What I loved the most during the volunteer hours were the meetings and discussions with younger generations that I worked with. We had created projects that had the potential to be realized, and their ideas were a limitless source of inspiration to me. We had watched each other grow and become successful people. I have countless memories related to the Hastor Foundation. One of my first memories is how someone for the first time observed our effort, work and appreciation that we had for what we did. All the Hastor members gave their best for us to acquire the most valuable human and professional virtues. I’m sure that each of us who got the opportunity to be part of the Hastor family can be proud and grateful for all the goodness that this foundation has given us.
As a conclusion of our short interview, Aida left a short but important message for other scholarship holders: Utilize the good in you for the good of other people.
Prepared by: Hana Kolasević
