by Lamija Jamak (YES 2013-2014, Bosnia and Herzegovina, hosted by PAX in Marysville, WA)

The month of October was a very busy one for alumni in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Activities included projects for World Smile Day, International United Nations Day, and Mental Health Awareness Day, as well as the first orientation for the new generation of YES Alumni City Representatives (CRs), which was held in Sarajevo October 28-29. City Representatives are alumni volunteers who organize, support, and report on activities in communities across the country. Six CRs from across Bosnia and Herzegovina attended the orientation, which I, the Alumni Coordinator for Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized at the American Councils office in Sarajevo.

On the first day of the orientation, CRs talked about their role and learned about the process of making a good alumni project. Afterwards, two YES Abroad students, Haley Zehrung and Josie Krieger, joined the CRs for a Halloween celebration at the SOS Day Center Hermann Gmeiner in Sarajevo. Around ten children joined the alumni and YES Abroad students in celebrating this fun American holiday. Our main activities were pumpkin carving, face painting, listening to Halloween music, and making scary drawings.  

In the evening, we continued our CR orientation with a visit from Aida Salketic, a Fulbright Student Research Program alumna and U.S. Alumni Association board member from Sarajevo who served as a mentor for a YES and FLEX alumni workshop in Southeast Europe in August 2017 . Ms. Salketic, a cultural heritage and museums professional, held a presentation about the importance of writing a strong CV and how to behave appropriately in a job interview.

On the second day, CRs discussed future project ideas, including a gala dinner for the 15th anniversary of the YES program, filming a 15th anniversary video, and ideas for connecting every major city in the country through similarly-themed projects on a monthly basis. We are looking forward to accomplishing all of these upcoming plans!