Lenida Bilanovic, Class of 2011

Hometown: Banja Luka, Bosnia
Citizenship: USA
High School: Beaverton High School
Major: Biology and German

My name is Lenida Bilanovic and I was born in Bosnia. My family and I lived in Germany for 8 years as refugees because of the war in Bosnia. We then immigrated to the US and moved to West Des Moines, Iowa, where we lived for 3 years, before settling in Beaverton, Oregon, a suburb of Portland.

I decided to attend Lewis & Clark college because it is located in the beautiful city of Portland. I've been on a road trips across the US and I still find Portland to be the most appealing place for me. Lewis & Clark also has some great overseas programs that I really wanted to participate in. I want to go to New Zealand and Germany so I can continue my studies. Lewis & Clark also has a gorgeous campus that I fall in love with every time I return.

As a first-year student, I have found different ways to get involved with campus activities. One of the best ways, for me, was to work with the Multicultural Affairs Office to learn about different events happening on campus. My CLA (Campus Living Advisor) this year told me about her involvement in the Ray Warren Multicultural Symposium, an annual event that focuses on diversity and multicultural issues surrounding race, and ethnicity. I decided to participate in two activities of the symposium--the Race Monologues as well as a panel on multilingualism. It was a great opportunity for me to get involved in something I truly care about. It also helped me learn and discover a lot about myself. I've also been asked to be a co-chair for the Eastern European countries for the International Fair, which I'm really excited about.

So far, my experience at Lewis & Clark has been very rewarding. The people and the activities here are amazing. I can't wait to see what will happen in my next few years at Lewis & Clark.