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Are you
currently a student? If Yes, Where? Area of Study:
Yes
Carleton University & Brigham Young University
Pre-Med, Humanities, Psychology, Religion & Political Science.
(Also acquiring teachers degree in Piano and Harp)
Are you currently employed?
If yes, what is your occupation?
During the school semesters I dedicate myself fully to my
studies and work full-time throughout the summer to save up for
school; any extra time that I do have, I spend volunteering around
the community instead of working. My time is divided between two
jobs. I work as a secretary at the Family Medical Centre here
in Belleville and I also teach piano. Another job that I enjoy
in the summertime is website development. I enjoy that one because
I get a chance to use my creative talents in terms of design,
structure and aesthetics and my organizational skills in creating
websites for clients whether it is for personal or commercial
use.
Have you completed Secondary
School? If yes, where?
Yes
Centennial Secondary School
Languages spoken fluently
(Please include your native language if English is not your native
language)
Bosnian/Serbian, English and learning German
List any special training
you have had (Music, Art, Drama, Dance, Etc.)
Dance: classical ballet; trained in French, Italian (Cecchetti)
and Russian (Vaganova) styles
Ballroom/Latin Dance
Visual and Performing Arts program-2006-2008
Piano -10 years
Harp -1 year
Calligraphy -2 years
Photography course -3 years
Public Speaking
In what sports, if any,
have you participated and how long have you participated in each
sport?
Soccer -4 years
Dancesport -10 years
Tai-Chi/Yoga/Pilates -1 year
Please list any schools
and universities (Public/Private/Graduate/Trade or Technical)
you have or are attending, as well as the area of study, graduation
date and any degree or certification you received.
Centennial Secondary School -High School Diploma
Carleton University -B.A Arts Honours, Classics and Religion (2010)
Brigham Young University -Humanities/Psychology (2010)
What charity/charities
have you supported with your time and/or resources over the past
two years?
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, SOS Children's Villages, Unicef
Canada, Ten Thousand Villages, Relief Society, Snowsuit Foundation
What would be your "DREAM
JOB" in life?
The first and foremost important job for me in my life is to be
a devoted mother and to raise healthy, bright and happy children.
The most important investment I can make is to my family.
I aspire to become a motivational/public speaker one day and to
be a lecturing professor of psychology/religion and cognitive
science at an Ivy League institution, contributing to the field
with my own experiences and research. I am rather future oriented
and direct my insight and inspiration toward the understanding
of myself and thereby human nature. I enjoy research and would
go to great lengths to find an answer. I find it interesting and
fun to investigate possibilities and meanings beyond the actual
facts and realities. Reading holds a particular fascination for
me because it allows me to have quiet reflection time and engages
my imagination. I would choose professorship or lecturing as a
dream job because it is a work that mirrors my integrity and reflects
my inner ideals. I have felt compassion deeply and desire nothing
more than to spread that love and wealth of knowledge to others.
Having been blessed with wonderful mentors in my life, I too,
love to teach.
Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most
influence on your life? Why?
I started to play the piano at a very young age. I was always
motivated by hearing fantastic achievement stories of others in
their respective fields...especially those in the arts. These
are the people that became my heroes and heroines. There is one
particular individual worth mentioning; a person though long gone,
has left through their legacy a lasting impression on me as an
aspiring musician. This man is the author of symphonies and sonatas
that are known all over the world. He commenced his musical education
at 5 years old. He was born in a little town called Bonn, Germany.
He wrote one violin concerto, 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos
and one opera.
It is well known that at the height of his career he became deaf.
He managed to keep playing the piano despite his disability by
listening to and feeling the vibrations of the keys. He noticed
he could not hear the higher notes when playing the piano and
this was when he was in his twenties. In order to hear the notes,
he sawed the legs off the piano so that he could hear the vibrations
as he played. By the time he was 40, he was completely deaf. At
first he gave up composing and became withdrawn and contemplated
suicide. He finally began composing again, going on to create
some of his greatest works, such as the "Ninth Symphony".
I marvel at his talent and dedication. His work relied greatly
on passion rather than the mathematically precise nature consistent
with the classical style of the age. I'm sure by now you may have
guessed it -this man is Ludwig Beethoven!
As the symptoms of his deafness progressed, Beethoven oscillated
between despair -"I am deaf! I shall, if I can, defy this
fate, even though there will be times when I shall be the unhappiest
of God's creatures...I live only in Music." -And defiance,
"I will seize fate by the throat. It will not wholly conquer
me! Oh, how beautiful it is to live, and live a thousand times
over!"
When I face a new challenge or when I am concentrating on a new
piece of music and perhaps feel discouraged at the great task
before me, I always remember those words and the obstacles which
were overcome by so many people such as Beethoven-and I think
to myself, is it really that hard for me?
What is the proudest personal accomplishment (other than being
in this or any other beauty pageant competition)?
I was born in Tuzla, Bosnia. When I was about 8 years of age,
our family was forced to leave our home and loved ones behind
because of the war that broke out. My parents chose to come to
Canada because they were attracted to its beauty and many natural
wonders; and they knew that it was a land of opportunity, equality
and freedom from oppression.
My proudest personal accomplishment would be starting a new life
over again with my family. That is a very big barrier to have
to overcome, socially and economically. It was very difficult
to attend school as a regular student and not understand a word
of what your teacher was trying to communicate to you. This gave
me an even greater drive and motivation for learning and staying
on top of the class. I always had to work twice as hard as most
people...but this discipline and drive are a reflection on my
other successes.
What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan
to do to accomplish that goal?
My career ambition is the same as my 'dream job'. My dream
is my ambition.
The most intense preparation is a mental preparation for the road
that lies ahead. It is a preparation of discipline, early rising,
healthy eating, exercising, living a balanced life and doing everything
in moderation. No excessiveness! I want my work to have impact
and meaning and for it to bring me admiration and respect. To
reach that point I am moulding my character into the 'ideal' person.
I find my niche in higher education. I have a strong love of learning
and so through persistence in this and eventually attaining a
doctorate degree, I will have become the person I now dream to
be. I have faith that everything else will fall into place and
that the right opportunities will present themselves to foster
my growth and provide me experience in the field which I so desire
to excel in. In the meantime I am studying hard, achieving great
results and finding joy in the journey. =)
Describe where you were
raised and what your childhood was like?
I had a very happy and imaginative childhood filled with adventure
and excitement. My parents were wise not to burden my mind with
the politics of the day and sheltered me from the emotional effects
of the difficult situations we were faced with in the first few
years of our new life in Canada. As a child I was very much involved
in the world of people. I had a very inquisitive nature and posed
endless questions to anyone who chanced to have a conversation
with me. I loved to read so much!! My first bike trip alone was
to a library! My mother told me to stay close to home, but I was
a little "rebel" and went to the library! My favourite
genre was fantasy. I loved to read about characters and how their
own fantasies turned into realities. Growing up, we were at a
bit of a disadvantage financially at least...but we were probably
the biggest dreamers you would have ever met! I have seen my wishes
materialize because of my ability to dream big! And from this,
I learned that we are the creators of our own realities.
List any interesting or
unusual jobs you may have had.
An interesting job that I had was in my second year of university.
After some time I became the Vice President of the Fashion 613,
Discover Ottawa student organization. It was a great opportunity
for a leadership role in providing other aspiring models with
a portal into the fashion industry. I've organized many events
from photo shoots to local fashion shows which also gave me a
lot of experience with the media (interviews, newspapers and radios)
etc.
List any volunteering you
have done
-I'm very involved in local projects. I love to help out with
the food bank and give of my time and services to them.
-I've volunteered at my church as a pianist for 5 years.
-I was the Vice President of a children's group (ages 3-12) and
for Valentine's Day we made little cards and letters to these
old folks at a local nursing home and prepared some songs to sing
to them about how much we love them and care for them. At the
end of the performance we handed out the cards that we made. It
was so adorable and it brought smiles and tears to our friends!
-Last year I organized a charity fashion show that fundraised
money for the Snowsuit Foundation.
Where is the most interesting place you have been?
The most interesting place that I have ever been to was a stop
that my sister and I made on a road trip to Vancouver, British
Columbia from Belleville, Ontario. You don't drive across the
country every day, so we made frequent stops along the way to
see what this beautiful country had for us to explore. Seeing
the majesty of the prairies and the grandeur of the mountain ranges
as we entered British Columbia from Alberta gave us a sudden urge
to stop for a break.
It was very unsuspecting and caught us both by surprise. We entered
a small picnic area which had a short trail that went up even
further into the woods. There was a clearing in the woods and
a small stream of water flowed beneath some trees. We thought
that this was so odd because here were are in this lush tropical-looking
forest with over 650 different mosses growing on the trees and
not half an hour before that we were being tossed to and fro by
the wind on top of an icy mountain!
We decided to follow the stream to the source of the water, which
made a very loud rushing noise. We thought that we would see a
river or something similar, but what we discovered was far more
beautiful than we could have imagined. We stood at the bottom
of the trail and looked up several hundreds of feet and saw a
waterfall graciously flowing down the rocks and through the densely
packed forest and again out of our sight. I don't believe my words
can do justice to this masterpiece of nature.
It is interesting to me because of the greatness of the contrast
of the landscape, and more peculiarly so because of the peace
and serenity which surrounded the place. It was a paradisiacal
balance of nature and harmony. It is strange how sometimes we
feel so connected to the natural world encompassing us and how
we can find the most comfort and healing to our souls in the simplicity
that surrounds us.
What makes you unique and different from the other contestants?
In working toward my vision, I win respect rather than demand
it. I am able to inspire others with my ideals. People are drawn
to me because they sense my passion for life, my love and my desire
to help. They see a living example of a life based on values,
integrity and ethics in me. In short, I am a highly disciplined
individual with strong principles and an enormous capacity to
perform on a daily basis and to achieve greatly in my lifetime,
and to do it without becoming overwhelmed.
What is your philosophy
of/in life?
My philosophy in life is very simple, yet intriguingly effective.
I have a dream, and I believe in my dream, I don't believe in
defeat. There is a formula on how to live a balanced, successful
and productive life; it is one that I frequently reflect on and
can be elegantly summarized by the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent
people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation
of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To
appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world
a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden, or a redeemed
social condition: to know even one has breathed easier because
you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
What do you hope to be
doing in 10 years?
I am the first in a family of six children. I have had the most
wonderful childhood and youth growing up despite all of the challenges
that were present. I love my family so much and in 10 years from
now I hope to have a wonderful little family of my own and be
established in my career and educational pursuits.
Is there anything
you would like to tell us about yourself? Something unique that
has happened to you? Some interesting thing about you?
There is something very special about me that you should know...
I have a very unique ability to connect with others in a spiritual
way. I have a great depth of personality and a very rich inner
life which allows for this great understanding and immediate connection
with just about every person I come into contact with. I have
a great love for those around me and see only the best in everyone.
I find that from time to time I will meet an individual who places
such great trust in me and easily reveals their hidden distresses
or deepest feelings. I feel very honoured that someone can place
such a large amount of trust in me.
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