Episode 16 - Aida (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The Bosnian War took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995.  Aida was a young girl living there with her parents and sister during that time.  She vividly remembers them hiding in their basement while hearing bombs exploding outside and having to stand in long lines for food that was rationed.  This became their way of life until they were able to escape.  They fled to Norway as refugees, but eventually, they were allowed to resettle in the U.S. as refugees. 

They landed in New York City when Aida was a teenager, where they lived in Queens for a short time, and eventually, they made their way to Salt Lake City, Utah.  Aida seized the educational opportunities available to her and eventually went to law school and continues to practice law today.  Early in her legal career, she went back to Bosnia to prosecute the war criminals from the Bosnian War.

Hear her story about what they went through during the war, the promise she made to her parents if they moved to the U.S., and how although the scars from war are etched in her mind, it did not affect her desire to find success and pursue her dreams in America.  She’s had an impressive legal career and has served in other capacities working with underserved communities.