I was born in Bosnia, where I spent the first nine years of my life. I moved to Germany in 1993 as a refugee. After living there for four years, I moved to the United States. During my time in Germany, I was able to become fluent in German. I was a successful student and was able to adapt to their culture. When I moved to the United States, I worked very hard to master English. I saw it as my only way to succeed. Now that I have been living in the United States for over eleven years (the longest time in one country), I consider myself a native speaker. I graduated from the University of Vermont with a BA in Secondary Education. I then went on to Saint Michael's College for my MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I will finish my MA in August, 2009. I have two years of experience translating and interpreting as a Bosnian Liaison for the Barre Town Supervisory Union in Barre, VT. I also have 15 years experience translating and interpreting informally for my parents. I believe that my background gives me an edge when it comes to translating. I not only speak the target languages but also understand the cultures behind them.