Recently, alumnus Amar Ismic has been working with the Ministry of Education in Sarajevo on the new Law on Education in Primary and Secondary Schools in the Canton of Sarajevo. Amar, who is part of a local political party and has been actively engaged in politics since his return from the YES program, took the initiative to propose an important amendment to the law.

The amendment, which Amar self-initiated, aims to facilitate the reintegration of students returning from exchange programs back into the educational system in Sarajevo. Specifically, Amar's addition to the new law, which will be implemented at the start of the new school year, states:

Students at schools in Canton Sarajevo who received part of their education abroad as part of international student exchange programs and have a certificate/confirmation, diploma, and/or another document as proof of successful completion of the international exchange program do not have the obligation to attend the special program, nor do they have the obligation to make up exams upon return.

Amar states that his exchange experience has helped him in his everyday work; He also works as a software engineer, so he works with foreign clients. Since he perfected English in the U.S., his exchange program also helped him communicate better with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

It took over three years for this idea to become reality, and Amar only realized the impact it would have once this amendment was implemented. Amar hopes that this initiative will spread throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and won’t just stop in Sarajevo Canton, and hopes to work on this goal in the future. Amar shares, “No matter how small the change might seem, it can have a bigger impact than you could imagine.”

Featured Alumni:

Amar Ismic (2016 -17, Bosnia and Herzegovina placed with AFS in Ham Lake, MN)