| My name is Ivona Ondelj, and I have had this great opportunity in life to be one of the CSF students. Now I have finished my law degree, I have done lawyers practice as a law trainee, and acquired all what I need to become a lawyer. I have passed my bar exam, and finally, as a certified court translator for the English language, and also shaped lawyer, I was chosen to have a scholarship of Ministry of European Integration of Republic Croatia for postgraduate LLM study of European Law and European Integrations in Germany, TU Dresden, Juristische Fakultät, where I am living now. At the road of my life, I have met various people, with various ideas and goals in their life’s. But one can not be denied, and that is how much The Croatian Scholarship Fund has helped me, how these people and their ideas have helped and influenced all their scholars. As the child from the war, and finally as the person who should really fought for the life and dreams, I am honoured to have an opportunity to be one small part of this great idea. In few words to describe all that, without help and support of these generous people, I will not be able to study at all. My father has died in the war, with my mother and sister I have lived in the poor dorms for refugees, without any hope, that I will ever be able to live normally, to study and finally to fulfil any of my dreams. All named seemed so far, and impossible to accomplish. I was the best high-school student, and the Croatian Scholarship Fund has recognised my will and strength, and gave me the possibility not only to study, than also to become what I am today. These people present what all we should be. All them live through their students, and for me will always be the pattern how I should live my life, how I should raise my children, and what I should become. There is no exaggeration when I declare, that they were foundations and a spine of my success. Here I specially want to thank Mrs Ana and Mr Branko Barbir, and all their sons, Mrs Joan and late Mr George Kumparak, Mrs Nina and Ante Jurjevic, family Palajac, family Brekalo, family, and all others not aforesaid, but also not forgotten. The Croatian Scholarship Fund presents a pride of the Croats all around the world. This organisation with such human approach, with so vivid hope and support has created and creates, by their investments and support in the most valuable thing such as education young, successful generations of people, showing them how belief in God and hope, should be always followed. This is investment, with very precious profit, such as human life and dream. This is their salary for all their effort – fulfilled dreams and successful young people, who know how to built their life. All this explains, how words as “thank You” can be small, compared to all what the people of the Croatian Scholarship Fund have done, and are still doing for young students, like I was. When I was on the bottom of all my dreams and hopes, these people gave me their confidence and invested in me. And till than I am trying to pay them back their earned salary, with continuous question: Is it possible at all, to return all that love, trust, and support? Well, I am trying to find an answer to this question each day. Today I am a scholar of the Ministry of European Integrations of Republic Croatia, and I am researching very important subject for my country, as a candidate country for the European Union. My goals are to continue my educational development, and to help my country to fight for its earned place in the world. But my basic goal is to become a person, who can justify given trust. I want all these people, to be proud of me, considering, they helped me, when I was in a crossroad of my life, they gave me possibility to educate myself, and finally to fulfil my dreams. Man exists as long as he/she has dreams. This makes all of us alive and makes us to go further. Considering all this one great THANK YOU, and a thousand little ones to all members of the Croatian Scholarship Fund. Your efforts give all Your scholars opportunity to fulfil their dreams, and to keep on doing that, Your efforts make all of us alive, giving us the greatest pattern how to live our life, how to raise our future generations. As just one of all these people, I can tell You without any reserve, THANK YOU for giving me all this. Yours sincerely |