Two BH Futures Scholars became BOLD Fellows!

The BH Futures Foundation has always been supportive of our scholars participating in various fellowships that help them build their future careers and bring the best of it back to their country.

This time, two of our very own scholars, Selma Kesten and Zlatko Marjanović, became a part of the BOLD Fellowship programme, an intensive academic and practical programme that provides a group of fresh students and recent graduates from across Bosnia and Herzegovina with in-depth training on entrepreneurship and leadership through a combination of classroom and experiential learning in New York State.

Selma Kesten

Selma Kesten is a 2nd-year student of Electric Power Engeering at the University of Sarajevo from Travnik. Her current main focus is finding ways to preserve our environment and make our world a more sustainable place. With her team in the BH Futures Foundation, Futures Trailblazers, she is working on a social media challenge to spread awareness on this topic. Apart from her engagement in the Foundation, she is active in the Foundation of the Source of Hope as a peer mentor and a tutor.

Selma has decided to apply for the BOLD Fellowship programme because, as she explains, “we have to be the change we want to see in the world and currently the world needs solutions for environmental issues.” Further, she believes that the programme is a great opportunity for her to gain tools needed to open a business focused on these issues.

Mentorship at the Foundation has been an important aspect for Selma during the application process for the BOLD Fellowship. During the process, Selma has told us, her BH Futures Foundation mentor, Azra Tanović, has been there for her, giving her feedback for the idea Selma submitted and preparing Selma for the interview.

“BHFF has created a network of people that were able to share their experience with me and who supported me in pursuing my passion”, Selma concluded.

Zlatko Marjanović

Zlatko Marjanović is an Information Technologies student who has found a way to connect his passion for IT and passion for entrepreneurship, which made him apply for the 2020 IEEE Innovation Nation Programme. During the 12-week programme, his passion for entrepreneurship only grew more powerful and making new connections made him meet many new people and it is why Zlatko decided to apply for the BH Futures Scholarship programme.

As he tells us, “if three months during IEEE were astounding, then a whole year at BHFF is a light-year beyond marvelous.” Zlatko's experience as a BH Futures scholar has provided him with, as he tells, world-class lectures and an industry giant mentor who helped him achieve his goals and to whom he can always speak about his career path and goals.As Zlatko tells us, he is somebody who couldn't let a single opportunity slip away and it is why he decided to apply for the BOLD Fellowship programme 2021, as he believes this month in the United States is going to be an opportunity for him to expand his knowledge base that is going to help him develop his IT/entrepreneurial career. In the future, Zlatko plans to run his own business, but before that, earn his degree because, as he explains to us, it is going to be easier for him to “focus on things he wants to do.

We are very proud of Selma and Zlatko and we wish them all the best on their journey to knowledge and building their careers!