Neira Kadic
What makes Neira Wildly Capable?
I admire Neira for her exceptional advocacy for international students and her unwavering support for women, especially women of color. As a first-generation college student herself, she navigated a landscape of ‘firsts’ with resilience and determination and now does so much to enrich our local university community. ADISHA WAGHMARAE TAMRAKAR
What makes you feel proud?
For one, how far I’ve come in community with others. Looking back, I’ve unlearned a mountain of things primarily through my interactions with people who had the patience, grace, and trust that I am worthy of being called out when I make a mistake. We all make mistakes, but how we move forward is what defines us. As I exist and move through that communal wealth of knowledge, I am proud of finding new ways every day to continue cultivating a space where my people feel safe, supported, cared for, advocated for, and celebrated.
What’s been the biggest obstacle in your life so far?
The way borders, war, trauma, and geopolitics show up in my life and the lives of people I love. I am from Bosnia and Herzegovina. My country and I were both brought into the 1990s violently: I was a c-section baby born in a basement of a war-torn hospital and my homeland came to exist through a series of violent armed conflicts and independence struggles through which Yugoslavia fell apart. It is an odd space to be brought up in; at the crossroad of gratefulness and trauma – reminded that you should be thankful for not remembering the war but surrounded by reminders of it everywhere you look. I moved to the U.S. as an international student with a full scholarship, so I know I am lucky, but the way intergenerational trauma and migration struggles show up in my life continues to be a challenge. This, coupled with navigating a complex immigration system in the U.S. and having limited access to opportunities, is a constant uphill battle.
One year from today, how do you hope you’re different?
I am still learning how to exist in between two very different worlds: the culture I was raised in has a very complex relationship with time; simply existing and enjoying the moment is a huge part of our daily lives. Migrating across the ocean into a highly individualistic and more fast-paced environment has come with lots of adjustments and challenges.
What’s the single biggest problem you’d like to solve in your community?
As you read this, unspeakable atrocities are carried out in Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Yemen, and so many other places around the globe. Violence is also happening all around us, to black and brown bodies at the highest rate. If we all viewed the world as ours and opened our eyes to how complex and interconnected our existence is, I think the level of apathy would significantly drop.
