Una

Una is 23 years old. She studies Italian language at the Faculty of Philology of the University of Belgrade. Apart from Italian, she speaks English and learns Polish. She works as an interpreter. Her recreational activities include modeling and volleyball.

What Una would like to see in the future in Serbia is greater support of the government for young people to prevent them from leaving the country. “I hope that Serbia will give the opportunity to the people who want to work on making our country a better place to live, to stay here. The focus would be on young people who have the strength to change the things, while preserving the positive side of our mentality. I hope that Serbia will be the country that will be able to give me the possibility to have the life I want for myself.”

Una has traveled many times outside Serbia, which has helped her to get to know better her own country and people, and to notice one characteristic of the people of Serbia that she considers very positive, and that is the mentality. “Something that keeps bringing me back to Serbia and Belgrade in a positive way is, first and foremost, the mentality of the people that I could not compare to any other mentality. It’s about the warmth and mutual understanding. Even people I have met who are from other countries recognize our specificity and our mutual connections. Wherever you go and no matter how good you speak the language of the place, or the country you went to, you will never be able to feel at home. I like the passion and energy we have here.”

On the other hand, the negative side of Serbia, in Una’s view, is the lack or insufficiency of support, especially for young people, by the government.” Serbia I live in for some time doesn’t give me the support it should give to young people who are always struggling and always torn between college, work, growing up and finances. Finances play the biggest role. Belgrade and Serbia don’t provide me any support in that matter.”

Una is a hardworking young person who gives her best to understand the people whose languages she speaks, and, what may be a little bit more difficult, she tries to understand the people who speak her own language, and in this way she tries to get closer to them and to understand them better. She connects different people through interpreting and through her personal views as well.