April 4, 2008

Selma Skokic

Learning journalism on the job

After the Balkan War ended, Selma Skokic and her family left Bosnia in 1995 and relocated to Germany. Four years later, they were able to move to the United States under a special program for refugees and were granted permanent resident status by the Clinton administration. Her parents found work and paid back the Catholic organization that had arranged their travel and initial assistance.

Selma, a graduate of Branham High school, is now 23 and a senior at San Jose State University. Although she is proficient in a third language, idioms are still often strange to her,

She is majoring in journalism and getting some on-the-job experience as an intern at the Evergreen Times.

Selma is researching data for stories, improving her reporting and editing skills and assisting the editor as part of her internship. Selma says she enjoys the opportunity to gain journalistic experience by working at the Times.

—Bill Highlander