Pursuit of dreams - choose a job you love

By Benjamin Avdic

I learned from my mother that the only tool to live life is to be a fighter. She has always been a role model to me, raising me with a lot of love and words of learning to accept. Consequently, I have always needed to show others what is right. During elementary and secondary education, I always thought I would be a Mathematics teacher. I was sure that I am going to become a teacher/professor, that I would share knowledge and teach others. At that time, I attended the prestigious International High School in Tuzla. I had a scholarship from the school as support, and on the other hand, a mother who pushed me to try. She was always telling me that I can succeed. And then my life crashed, she passed away.

Fear of survival, distrust, need for security occupied my mind, and all of my thoughts were only ruins. I had noticed hopelessness for achieving my dreams and had been thinking of only becoming an independent person. There was no one to encourage and motivate me.

Every day when I entered the school, in the entrance hall there was written: "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life". Day by day, that quote was increasingly attracting my attention and resonating with the words "Be a fighter, you can do it“. Along with high school, I was offered to start leading a group of children and young people at the Tuzla Youth Theater as their educator. As a senior member with experience, I have created and led numerous educational and creative workshops, I conducted many projects and seminars, and then I realized, my life's calling must be teaching others.

I chose to dedicate my life to children, youth, adults, elderly – to human beings, in one word. I chose to help and be happy when they are happy. Soon I will graduate from the Special Education and Rehabilitation Department at the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences of the University of Tuzla. If I were to choose again, I would choose the same.

Throughout my studies, I have met many people, gained an incredible number of opportunities, worked on my own, volunteered, and studied. Being the best student among many, with a near-maximum GPA and few published professional and scientific papers, might be a quantitative account of what I wear in my heart and what I learned during my studies. My competence as a future expert is not only successful assessment and treatment for people with disabilities, but my ability to bring joy, smile, happiness on gloomy faces, and the joy of living in the lives of those in need. I truly work on developing people's life potentials.

In the future, I see myself as an art therapist, combining art and science in the development of human life potential. Besides, I want to be the greatest ambassador of this philosophy, profession, and science. And I started my mission by publishing my first book titled „A Capeless Hero“, where I introduced children with disabilities as superheroes with superpowers.

I am currently led by 4 words in my life: faith, hope, love, and gratefulness. Don't give up on your ambitions. Don' let the moments of hopelessness discourage you. Choose the job you love, chase your dreams. I study special education, what is your superpower?!