(EXTREMELY LATE) Introduction

Hi everyone,

My name is Albina Hidic, I am a senior studying Public Service and Public Policy with then intent of going into law enforcement. My main focus will be human trafficking once I get into the field. I actually have police exams coming up on October 5th in Seattle, WA, so I am training and studying for that currently. 

My background: I have been living in Phoenix ever since I moved here from Bosnia in November 1999. I grew up during a war in Bosnia and from stories my parents have told me, I've been shot at as a little kid. An interesting bit there for you. I still am fluent in my foreign language. It took me a short 6 months to fully learn English as not speaking or understanding the language made things difficult for me academically as well as socially. I think that having a foreign background will help me to succeed in life because I am very knowledgable in two different cultures and traditions and I know two languages, which is a great asset to possess. 

Right now, I am taking 28 credits while working a full-time job which worked out perfectly because I did an internship my freshman year and all the way into my sophomore year which I will elaborate more on in the following few paragraphs. 

I was a freshman living in Taylor Place when my community assistant's friend and then Undergraduate Student Government President Christian Vasquez informed me of a thing called "Lobby Con." I had to no idea what that even was, but being a freshman and wanting to get involved, I ended up going. Lobby Con ended being a conference where you can learn how to lobby and talk to State Legislators about higher education and how important it is to our society. There I met students from the three major universities who were passionate about their education and making it available to more students than it already was. The organization behind all of this? Arizona Students' Association. 

ASA: The organization was founded in 1974 by the presidents of the three major universities in Arizona. The organization started because the presidents wanted to give a voice to the students and figure out how to make a college education more affordable (we all want that, right?!). Up until 1998, ASA was funded by the Arizona Board of Regents, but the students decided to take a vote so that students would fund this organization with a mandatory $2 fee that is totally refundable per school year ($1 per semester). More information can be found at www.azstudents.org

My internship with them consisted of phone banking, class presentations, recruitment, and reaching out to political leaders in Arizona. I met students from all three state universities and even from all over the country.