University of Tampa senior Gëzime Christian graduated in May with a double major in Business Economics and Mathematics. But unlike many traditional UT students, she did did it completely on her own without the encouragement or support from her family. Despite facing several hardships including the threat of war and homelessness, she graduated Magna Cum Laude in three years and will be attending grad school at Yale this fall.
The Minaret had the chance to interview Gëzime about her post-graduate plans at Yale and the story that lead her to this point in her life.
The Minaret: Who is your biggest influence?
Christian: I really look up to Mother Teresa who is also Albanian. I didn’t even know that growing up, and it’s not because she’s the same ethnicity as me. I see so many similarities between her worldview and mine; what she did was amazing. She left her family when she was young to help poor people in India, to make homes for sick people and help babies that nobody wanted. She is such a great example for everyone and reminds us to follow our [calling] in life. Things that she did no one will forget. Remembering her life and what she stood for makes me never regret following my dream.
The Minaret: Did you move to America from the Republic of Albania?
Christian: I came to America from Kosovo when I was eight. The reason my family and I came here was because of the war there. The war was pretty much like genocide. Serbians were killing the Albanians. They would come into people’s home, killing people and burning houses. It was very bad so my family came to America as refugees.
The Minaret: What was it like transitioning to life in America?
Christian: My instructors in Kosovo were really impressed with my math and learning ability as a young girl, starting with how I learned all of my multiplication tables in one day. However, because of my experiences with the war and the culture shock in America, I forgot my first and second grade education including all memory of mathematics. Also, I did not speak English when I came. However, with time during my first school year here, I did become advanced again in math in many aspects, and through hard work, my middle school math teacher recognized my potential and placed me in my first advanced class. In my village in Kosovo, people don’t get that educated. My parents only have a fourth grade education which is also what I would have received, and thus, like many young foreigners who are ambitious academically there is somewhat of a [disconnection] between the older and younger generations concerning education.
The Minaret: What was American school like for you?
Christian: It was really tough going to school in America. I always cared about my education and wanted to get into honors classes, but my high school counselors weren’t supportive, saying ‘those classes aren’t for you since your family doesn’t want you to go to college.’ But I passed the test to get into college at a really young age, which changed my life. It helped me believe in myself when others didn’t. It showed me that I can do something for the world. When I finished the two years at St. Petersburg College, I was awarded Student of the Year and I had a 4.0 the entire time. Everyone was trying to bring me down, saying ‘no, you’re not going to go to college’ and I think that’s important for people to know; that no matter what, you need to believe in yourself. Even people like teachers and guidance counselors around me didn’t want me to reach my potential.
The Minaret: You probably could have gotten into any school, why Yale?
Christian: I applied to a lot of schools, top schools, average schools and safety schools. I got accepted to a few, including Duke University and Yale University. With graduate school, you never know. On average, the good schools are going to say no; I was expecting to hear no but you might as well apply. It’s worth it.
Issues about poverty and how to make things better for people have always been close to my heart. I feel there are too many terrible things going on; people in poverty aren’t being heard. I really want to work in the future to make social change. A lot of the programs I applied to were specifically designed for students who want to work in this area. Honestly, it’s a miracle. I applied to 20 schools and this program at Yale was my number one pick, but I knew it was very competitive so I applied to many similar programs that were less competitive. When I got accepted at Yale, it was a dream come true.
The Minaret: What are your plans after Yale University?
Christian: It is a one-year program. I can choose to stay another year to do research or have the option of getting a Ph.D. Many previous students in this program get their Ph.D. in Economics. I’m not sure yet, but I think I’m going to work for a while maybe in a big international organization like the World Bank or anywhere that I feel I can get my hands on a project, doing something for people.
The Minaret: How does your family feel about your education?
Christian: It has been difficult for my family to understand my academic accomplishments and this is because they come from a traditional background where females are not encouraged to go to school. Also my parents only have a fourth grade education. My family comes from a Muslim background but I became a Christian four years ago. There was a problem when it came to my education because my family believed in me only getting married and staying home, they weren’t supportive of higher education at all.
The Minaret: Because of your family’s disapproval, what was it like pursuing your degree at UT?
Christian: When I transferred to UT, I was disowned and was all on my own. Financially, I’ve been completely by myself. For the record, at UT, one of my worst experiences was when I did [end] up on my own and had to go to the financial aid office to claim financial independence. I was almost homeless… In the end, I didn’t give up. I knew it was just me and God so I prayed a lot and I worked a lot. Part-time during school and full-time during summer and winter breaks, I never had a vacation. I never took a day off, but managed to have my own apartment, feed myself and pay my college tuition.
For more information about Gëzime, you can contact her at gezime.christian@spartans.ut.edu.
Yasaman Sherbaf can be reached at ysherbaf@spartans.ut.edu.
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