A message from our Founder,
Joanna Shields
If you’re anything like me, it seems that springtime is a wonderful time to look forward with anticipation of what’s to come. That is exactly what the Jericho board and staff did over the six-week vision and goal planning session held in March and April. We reflected on the past, celebrated the present, and cast dreams for the future of the Jericho Family.
This last year, you have helped us increase students' living stipends caused by the rising cost of living in BiH. Being aware of and responsive to the changing needs of our scholars is one of the hallmarks of our program, and we have found it to be vital to our students’ academic success.
With your support, we continue to challenge the ongoing division written in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s history by tackling difficult topics like nationalism, unity, and peacebuilding. We engaged Bosnian business people, local leaders, and peace-building experts to speak to and inspire our students at our Leadership Seminars. We are seeing the compounding impact of these seminars, and our students are reporting observable changes in their worldview.
Because of your support, our students continue to overcome obstacles, gain employment, and become thriving leaders in their families, communities, and country. In the last 22 years, you have directly impacted the lives of nearly 100 scholars who have gone through our programs.
Your support has helped to graduate doctors, engineers, teachers, IT professionals, and more!
Thank you for being a part of our movement to raise up a generation of change agents in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With your help, we plan to more than double our impact in the next five years. Together, let’s change lives!
With deep gratitude,
Joanna Shields
Spring Leadership Seminar Update: Scholarship Student, Ena Gradanin
Ena shared her thoughts about this year’s seminar with these words.
JERICHO seminars: my favorite part of the year! It’s always thrilling to see and spend time with people who all share the same goal and wish, to succeed in a country where failure is common. At every seminar, I learn more than I could ever anticipate from the Jericho staff, speakers, and other students. Coming from different cities, nationalities, and religions, we all talk about how excited we are to get our degrees and make our country a better place.
At this year’s seminar, our main topic was gaining employment. Our speakers: Jericho alumni students, local CEOs, and business owners. They were very inspiring and did a fantastic job explaining their fields and how they gained employment. They advised us that we have to take “risks”, think outside the box, and expect “no’s” along the way. None of them downplayed the hardships of business and the long hours they put into their careers.
Another important topic discussed was that mistakes are a normal part of learning and that the important part is that you work hard to fix them. The lessons from the speakers have inspired me to work even harder because success is possible. It is right in front of us if we do not give up and have a powerful desire to succeed.
Meet, Mirela!
Meet our newest team member, Eldina!
Jericho's Newest BiH Director
Student Coordinator in BiH
Many of you know our very own Mirela Hadzic, Jericho Foundations Program Manager for the past three years, but you may not know that she is now the Foundation Director in BiH! The challenge that came from our recent goal and vision meeting is to double our impact in the next five years.
To do that we need a strong infrastructure on the ground in BiH. With Mirela’s experience as our Program Manager, her training in Gestalt Therapy, leadership skills, and the ability to network, we knew she was a perfect fit to build our team in BiH and guide Jericho toward our long-term goals.
Eldina lives in Tuzla, BiH, with her husband, Pera, and son, Aron. She has a bachelor's degree in Theology and has work experience in many areas. She is happiest when she has an opportunity to support young people who have goals and dreams they want to achieve. When Eldina was a student pursuing her studies, she did not have and really missed the support she needed, so her goal is to be a strong support to young people.
Along with supporting our Jericho students, Eldina helps others by being a scout leader in her community. She also is passionate about singing and motivational speaking; and she enjoys camping, traveling, and spending time with her son, family, and friends.
2022 U.S. Summer Interns
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We say a profound “Thank You” for the generosity shown by our partners and intern host companies. Your generous support and taking the time to demonstrate effective business practices ensure our top scholars receive the mentorship and hands-on learning they need. They return to BiH equipped with the skills to compete in a tough job market, land an excellent first job, and become leaders of their generation. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of these internship experiences.
Additional thanks to our intern host families. Greg & Melinda Dobson (Elvedin), Dan & Laura Schied (Amina) Brian & Diane Karsten (Nikola). We still need an internship site and a host family for Sifet. Goran will be interning at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids and is still in need of a host family. Please consider helping us to ensure Sifet and Goran can participate in our US internship program.
Next year, you can help our efforts by providing a spot for an intern in your organization or home. Contact us at Jericho@jerichofoundaiton.org or 269-321-9418 for more information.
Get ready for the 19th annual Night of Hope Silent Auction & Dinner on November 4th, 2022. Come join us for a night of celebration, entertainment, food, and guest speakers. Enjoy entertainment, food, and much more.
Stayed tuned on our social media platforms and look out for our email blasts to hear more up-to-date information.
