“I was eight and a half when the war started. They wanted to kill all boys or men,” said Amela Salkic, reflecting on her early childhood in Bosnia. What followed was a life shaped by displacement, resilience, and a relentless drive to create a better future not only for herself, but for her family, her community, and generations to come.
During the war, her family fled from village to village, surviving on minimal food and finding shelter wherever they could. “We would stay up at night and play… nine of us lived together,” she said. Her father, injured while trying to get his family to safety, was one of many sacrifices made for their survival. “We were able to find the house, and only one room and living room. And nine of us lived there.”
The trauma left a deep mark. Amela recalled how soldiers came to her village, screaming as they prepared to burn the house down.
“My mom started screaming ‘we have kids here,'” she said, recalling how the family was forced outside and rounded up with others. “They put us in the street and they executed seven guys in front of us.”
One man, a spiritual leader, was already dead when a soldier used a knife to finish him.
“It’s trauma for a whole life, but it’s also like a life lesson,” Amela said. That life lesson took root as motivation. “That’s why I’m here. So after that I said to myself that I’m gonna be good and I’m gonna make my parents proud.”
Amela arrived in the United States in 2002 at the age of 18.
“It was hard. I didn’t have anyone. I didn’t know anyone… I didn’t know where to start,” she said.
A conversation with her father helped her find clarity and determination.
“He said do you want to go back? Do you want to have future?”
That conversation proved pivotal.
“That talk helped me a lot and I was glad I made the decision.”
With her background in a Bosnian nursing school, Amela skipped two years of high school and went directly to St. Louis Community College (STLCC)- Forest Park.
“I spoke to my caseworker and he said I think you’re ready to start college,” she said. “I’ve always been highly ambitious. I’m a goal-driven individual.”
That drive carried her through every phase of her education.
Learning English presented another challenge. “I didn’t know one word. I was so confused. I don’t even know how I registered myself,” she said. “But I just started from zero… I started taking classes, English classes.”
But the stress caught up to her and she took some time off after learning English, until her sister graduated high school.
Amela convinced her sister to go to college by agreeing to go back herself, and she was able to earn her associate’s degree at STLCC-Meramec. Amela used that degree to pursue a career in health care, but never lost the desire to return to school.
When a coworker told her about WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS), Amela jumped at the chance, applying for admission to the school.
“I prayed to be accepted,” she said. In 2019 her prayers were answered and in 2021 she was offered a position in a research lab at WashU after working there as a temp for several months.
While pursuing her degree, Amela faced serious health challenges that tested her resilience.
“I had a period when they couldn’t find out what’s going on in me. I was constantly in the ER,” she said. “I was like, why is this happening now when I’m there, right where I want to be?” she said. “That was the hardest time in my life but I knew I couldn’t give up.”
She leaned on the inner strength she had built throughout her childhood and adolescent and on her sister, whom she calls “a second mother” to her children. “She would come and cook for my kids while I would be at school,” Amela said.
Despite the pain and fear, Amela found strength in her purpose—and in her professors. At CAPS, she found not only academic rigor, but authentic encouragement. Faculty shared their own stories, supported her ambitions, and created an environment that felt like a supportive second home.
One professor recognized her talent and encouraged her to submit her writing for publication, telling her it was good enough for a major medical journal.
For Amela, the moment was symbolic: she had essays published in Bosnian as a child, but now she was writing on important, global topics. Her journey had come full circle.
When she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2023, Amela briefly considered continuing her studies at Saint Louis University.
“I was accepted,” she said. “I remember sitting at my desk thinking, ‘Why would I do this to myself?’ WashU is such a beautiful, prestigious place—why would I leave that behind? I realized I already had everything I needed right here, so I decided to stay and pursue my master’s at WashU CAPS.”
Now a WashU staff member, mother of two, and graduate student, Amela says her heart remains grounded in her past and focused on her future.
Making her parents proud has always been one of her strongest motivators. “They were my greatest supporters,” she said. “They believed in me, pushed me to work hard, stay disciplined, aim high—not only for myself, but to honor that encouragement and the sacrifices they made for me.”
That same commitment carries into the way she raises her children. “Number one is always… to have high moral standards,” she said. Her son, now in college on a scholarship, and her daughter, who hopes to attend WashU one day, are learning the same lessons in perseverance, faith, and gratitude that have guided Amela’s journey.
“Honestly, it was really hard but I would never change my childhood,” Amela said. “Everything… just shaped me into what I am right now.”
Her journey is one of courage, resilience, and determination. And it’s far from over.