A Reminder of Our Why
When I think about some of my earliest friends, Venesa always comes to mind quickly. We met each other sometime in middle school and, although we went to different schools, we formed a tight bond without spending much time together before high school; part of this may be due to the similarities in our backgrounds helping us form a connection. Back then, we’d spend the day at school then come home and talk on Facebook throughout the evenings, sometimes late into the night. Venesa and her family are from Rahovec in southwestern Kosovo and they hold onto these roots tightly, visiting their hometown often during the summers. I find a lot of joy in the moments when we talk about our trips back home and find things in common about those visits and our experiences even though we go to different countries.
Venesa and I got even closer by the end of high school and through college; this is when I began seeing her as not only a close friend, but an influence in my life. It’s not often that you stay close to friends from a young age, but it’s even more rare to have a quality friend in those people. I’ve always known that Venesa had something in her that I think a lot of children of immigrants carry: a desire to make the most out of the opportunity our parents gave us by immigrating to the U.S. and setting high goals and standards to lead successful, fulfilling lives. I’ve had a front row seat in watching her grow over the years and she’s inspired me in so many ways:
● in decision making by thoroughly thinking things through from different perspectives to make wise choices
● in confidence and self-regard by putting myself first and being true to my feelings instead of pleasing others (I’ve admittedly struggled with this one for a long time and find a lot of motivation in her strength with it)
● in knowledge and intellect by aiming to be more well-rounded and open to learning about a wide range of subjects (her mind fascinates me; she knows a lot about politics, music, movies, culture, history, and so many other things that make her both extremely intelligent and a great conversationalist)
Venesa reminds me a lot of our “why” and our mission at ImmiGreatness - she has two younger siblings who could depend on her for guidance with education and life in general because she went through it all first, and she’s constantly achieving milestones and aiming high for her future making her parents proud. She’s fluent in both English and Albanian, and can also speak Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian. She graduated with Honors from The University of Michigan, where she was the President of the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, a Research Assistant for the Department of Political Science, an Associate Editor for the Michigan Journal in History, the Social Chair for the Albanian American Student Organization, a part of the Fundraising Committee for the Michigan Refugee Assistance Project, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She is currently in her final year as a J.D. Candidate at the University of Michigan Law School where she has been an Associate Editor for the Michigan Journal of Gender & Law, Vice President of the First Generation Law Students, the Programming Chair for the Women Law Students Association, and a Student Advocate for the Property Tax Appeal Project. She’s also been a Graduate Student Instructor for the following courses: Slavic 312: Central European Film and FTVM 150: Intro to Film, TV, and Media.
It’s an honor to call Venesa one of my closest friends and I think as children of immigrants, it’s such a beautiful thing to have friends who are also children of immigrants regardless of where they came from and who share a passion to lead successful lives. There’s so much inspiration, motivation, and understanding in those friendships and I’m grateful to be able to learn from, depend on, and relate to with friends like Venesa.
