What began as a gesture in memory of a late colleague quickly became a cherished tradition. In 2020, we partnered with the BH Futures Foundation to establish a scholarship program in memory of our dear colleague Emir Zec, a talented Quality Assurance Engineer and, above all, an altruist, true friend, and incredible human being.
Emir’s family also decided to participate in the program, allowing us to broaden our network of scholars and support a greater number of talented students.
Emir embodied motivation, inspiration, and perseverance. He loved to mentor teammates. Although life wasn’t easy on him, he devoted all his free time to helping those less fortunate than him.
The scholarships offered through this program provide financial assistance to students from low-income families, but we also see them as a source of encouragement, support, and motivation for our young scholars.
The selection process is never simple. Our inbox is inundated with incredible applications, and we devote time to conduct interviews with each candidate, which always leaves us in awe of the accomplishments of those brilliant minds.
This year, we chose six remarkable and charitable young scholars. Despite their varying backgrounds, they all share one trait: an unstoppable desire to learn and help others.
We are pleased to introduce you to the newest members of our network, whose career paths we look forward to following and supporting.
The AI Enthusiast: Karla-Kristina Škegro
Studies Computer Science at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Computing and Electrical Engineering, University of Mostar
Year: First, Master studies
Hometown: Mostar
If we were to describe Karla-Kristina in just three words, they would be: persistent, industrious, and committed. This year, she completed her bachelor’s degree with a final thesis in the field of artificial intelligence. Karla-Kristina isn’t afraid of hard work, even if it’s unrelated to her field of study. She recently joined the BH Futures Foundation, where she hopes to help students like herself achieve more through volunteer work.
Message to her peers: Always stay true to yourself and your dreams. This is the time for us to explore. There’s a lot on our shoulders, and manyof us worry about what comes next. We need to try to take small steps every day towards at least one goal. Whatever we do will pay off in the end. There’s no room for quitting. Everyone has the ability to learn and do what they love. Work on yourselves because your knowledge can’t be taken away by anyone. And alongside that it’s important to be a good person and help others.
The DevSecOps Geek: Saliha Mustafić
Studies Information Technology at the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, International Burch University, Sarajevo
Year: Third, Bachelor studies
Hometown: Vareš
Saliha is passionate about technology, attempting to seize every chance to pursue a career in security. She describes herself as “an adventurer, hiker, photographer, blogger, idealist, and other things you wouldn’t expect from an IT person.” Passing knowledge to others is something that’s embedded in her code, so you’ll often find her hosting Python and C# workshops. Saliha is always looking for new challenges and ways to stretch herself outside of her comfort zone.
Message to her peers: It’s a well-known fact that success only follows those who believe in themselves. So go ahead and use your skills to pave your own way. Fear is your friend. If you’re afraid of failing, you’ll never discover what possibilities are there for you to build a great career. If you allow failure to serve as your teacher, your road to success will be much shorter than if you let it defeat you. May you always move forward in life.
The Mentor We All Need: Amer Pašanbegović
Studies Software Engineering at the
Faculty of Polytechnic Sciences, University of Zenica
Year: Third, Bachelor studies
Hometown: Zenica
If you’ve heard of the Zenica Coding Summer School, you’ve probably heard of Amer as well. This energetic software engineering student enjoys volunteering and passing on his knowledge to future generations. He is constantly on the lookout for opportunities to mentor others. Last year, he co-founded the Coding Summer School, a program designed to teach elementary and high school students the basics of computer programming. Amer volunteers at BHFF and his university as a tutor, mini-mentor, and workshop organizer.
Message to his peers: Go get IT done! Go with the flow and try to better yourself every day. Use your past mistakes for improvement instead of focusing on the mistake itself.
The Robotics Genius in the Making: Nedžma Brkić
Studies Software Engineering at the Faculty of Polytechnic Sciences, University of Zenica
Year: Second, Bachelor studies
Hometown: Busovača
Nedžma believes that by delegating repetitive tasks to a machine, society will have more time to progress in a more efficient manner, increasing skill diversity and psychological well-being. That’s why she wishes to pursue a career in robotics and automation. She values liberty and progress, and the word she’d use to describe herself is “supporter’, because she always encourages her friends’ personal and professional growth.
Message to her peers: It’s easy to grow when you have great friends, because then we all grow together. If everyone turns their attention to the people in their lives instead of things, I feel like they’d feel as great as I do.
The Catalyst That Pushes You Forward: Muamer Aličković
Studies Software Engineering at the Faculty of Polytechnic Sciences, University of Zenica
Year: Third
Hometown: Zavidovići
Muamer prefers web development over all others in the IT universe, so it’s very possible that this will be his career of choice. Activities related to the BH Futures Foundation, whether volunteering on projects or participating in educational events, bring him a lot of joy. Muamer has progressed from being an introvert to assisting others in overcoming their introversion. He believes that in order to grow, you must sometimes “throw yourself into the fire,” and he constantly encourages everyone around him to get out of their comfort zones.
Message to his peers: The only way to know if something is good for you is to try it, so what are you waiting for? I know it can be bad if you fail, but once you succeed or get what you want, you won’t care about all those past failures.
The Persistent Explorer: Haris Peštalić
Studies Informatics and Computing at the International Business and Information Academy in Tuzla (IPIA Tuzla)
Year: Fourth
Hometown: Gradačac
Haris is a humble young man who is always looking for ways to help others. Aside from volunteering in BHFF, he devotes his time to a few local charity organizations. It gives him satisfaction to know that he has done and accomplished something that will benefit others. Haris is fascinated by astronomy and spends many hours watching documentaries and reading books about celestial objects and cosmic phenomena. Programming is his greatest passion. He believes that’s where he can express his creativity and put his ideas into action. He is constantly learning new technologies and expanding his knowledge in order to excel in this field.
Message to his peers: To my peers, I would say that they should always keep trying. To learn and explore. With all the technology we have now, we can learn so much more than previous generations could, and we should take advantage of that. It’s how we can prove to ourselves and others that we’re the change that will drive the world forward.
As these scholars begin their new chapters, we wish them the best of luck in their growth journeys. Their drive to succeed is inspiring. As we continue to get to know them, we will be there as a pillar of support in multiple dimensions and look forward to seeing the people they become.