Many had various difficulties during their schooling because of mathematics, and mathematics led her to America. Vesna Kilibarda from Nikšić has been living and working in America for twenty-three years.
She received her doctorate in mathematics there, and is now a professor at Indiana University.
After completing her mathematics studies at the University of Belgrade, she worked at the "Veljko Vlahović" University in Podgorica and Nikšić. As a Fulbright scholar, she stayed in the academic year 1987/1988. at the University of Nebraska. In 1989, he returned to that University to complete his doctoral studies.
Her husband, Zoran, also completed his doctorate in geology at the same university, and her children, Ivana and Nikola, were elementary school students at the time.
After her doctorate, she was hired as an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Alaska in Juneau. When it was time for the children to go to college, she and her family moved to Northwest Indiana, and she continued her career at Indiana University, where she and her husband currently work as adjunct professors.
"Many equate mathematics with calculus. Dealing with mathematics is a creative activity, in its objects and relationships we find not only truth but also beauty", says Vesna for "Vijesti".
He points out that when we solve a mathematical problem, we feel good "like when we climb to the top of a mountain and breathe deeply. No one can take that moment away from us and it is worth the sweat and effort we put in".
When asked why she chose the USA to live in, she replied that it is a very interesting country, open to foreigners, values work and supports scientific activities.
"For me and my husband, thirty years old, with two small children, it was a real challenge," says Vesna.
And does, despite all the advantages, living in America also have disadvantages?
"The shortcomings are of a personal nature. We miss our family and dear friends from our youth. We also miss our natural beauty and Mediterranean climate," says Vesna.
He says that the differences in the education system here and in America are great.
"When you enter a class with us, there are still mostly rows of desks, a map or a system of elements on the wall. In America, the benches are usually in a circle, all around colorful with children's works", she states. He says that in America, knowledge is checked with standardized tests, while here it is often done orally.
"I believe that the greatest value of my children's education, acquired in America, is that they studied and worked in diverse environments, with children from all over the world, that they got to know different cultures, made friends of different nationalities, who speak different languages and have different customs" , points out Vesna.
When it comes to work at the University, Vesna says that her work consists of three parts.
"The largest part is dedicated to my students and preparation for classes, the second part is dedicated to my research work, and the third to work in various professional commissions and volunteer duties at the University, in Indiana and beyond," says Vesna.
When asked how she manages to balance family and professional obligations, Vesna says that she relies on family and friends.
"When the children were small, they went to an extended stay. As university professors, my husband and I can finish a lot of work at home," Vesna points out.
When it comes to success, Vesna says that she considers her success to have family and friends that she loves and appreciates, and to be doing a job that she mostly enjoys.
Things are getting better in Montenegro
Whenever he comes to Montenegro, he has to divide his time between work and rest. "I enjoy natural beauty, the company of family and friends, and healthy food. I would like to see more work and order, if the beaches were more accessible and cleaner, the roads better. I've been coming here for eight years, and every time the positive outweighs the negative," says Vesna.
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