Before I was born, my mother, my sister, and aunt had to go into hiding in Bosnia after my father was captured by Serbian authorities. They eventually managed to escape to Germany, and soon after my father was able to escape and reunite with them. Once my family was all back together, we packed one backpack full of clothes for my parents, myself, and my sister to share. These were the only possessions we had the means to bring into our new home.

I remember my parents only getting three hours of sleep a night because of how many different jobs they were working just to keep our family afloat. Their struggles showed me the difference between living and surviving, and I promised myself that I would create a future that would be better for all of us one day.