That it is never too late to achieve dreams is demonstrated by Koviljka Tosic from Gornji Smrtici near Prnjavor, who retired last year but also earned the title of law graduate at the Faculty of Law of the University of Banja Luka, which she enrolled in the 2017/2018 academic year – with state funding.
As she says, the crowning achievement of her work, effort, and perseverance is the diploma of the Faculty of Law in her hands, which she waited for a year, and it was handed to her precisely on the day marking a great anniversary of this higher education institution, which celebrated its 50th year of operation.
“For this diploma in my hands and the indescribable happiness I feel, every moment of anxiety before exams and the countless hours spent studying with joy and satisfaction were worth it,” says Tosic.
She notes that the idea of finishing college had always been on her mind.
“After completing secondary medical school in Banja Luka, I got a job at the Health Center in Prnjavor, where I spent my entire career. This is not the first university I enrolled in, as after working for two years as a nurse, I decided to enroll in the Faculty of Medicine in Banja Luka. I reached my second year but had to repeat it, so I returned home. At that time, parents were stricter, and repeating a year was seen as a major failure. It was up to me to decide what to do next, and I returned to my job as a nurse. In the meantime, I got married and had two daughters, but I secretly still wished to finish college,” Tosic explains.
She adds that the unfortunate events of the war put an end to her thoughts about university.
“Misfortune never comes alone, and unfortunately, I lost my husband Dusan, who passed away in 2006, and that was when I felt the full burden of life as a single mother. My daughters were always my priority, and fortunately, my older daughter followed in her father’s footsteps and is now a professor of mathematics and computer science, while the younger one is a journalist. That is my greatest life success, and when they completed their studies, due to circumstances related to my job, I had to enroll in another secondary school, earning the title of physiotherapy technician,” Tosic explains.
With a smile, she says that attending a second secondary school only intensified her desire for learning, so secretly, without telling anyone – not even her daughters – she went to the Faculty of Law in Banja Luka and inquired at the student services office about the entrance exam for regular studies.
“I asked them if there was an age limit for university enrollment, even though I was sure there wasn’t. I submitted my documents and had one week to prepare for the entrance exam. I tried to get state-funded admission because I couldn’t afford to pay for part-time studies. My wish came true, and I became a full-time state-funded student. I used all my annual leave days to attend lectures whenever I could, often going right after work,” said Tosic.
She adds that it was not without effort, as she had to travel a distance of 70 kilometers one way from Gornji Smrtici to Banja Luka.
“Fortunately, I managed to pass year after year, remained state-funded, but had to extend my final year status. I had a great collaboration with my young colleagues, who always helped me when I couldn’t attend lectures, and the professors were very understanding of my situation. I must mention some of them – Zdravka Milovic, Danijela Pecanac, Jana Loncar, Marko Romic, Igor Mirjanic, Sergej Jovanovic, and many others from this wonderful generation I am proud of,” Tosic says.
However, as she emphasizes, the greatest support on her academic journey came from her daughters, Petra and Jovana, who helped her both morally and financially.
“My daughters were my wind beneath my wings, and I am sure Dusan would have been too if he were here with us because he loved learning and sharing knowledge with others as a math and physics teacher. Before every exam, I would think about what he would say, and how he would advise me, because all the exams were challenging in their own way, and in the later years, they became harder and harder. I must admit, I thought I had a real chance of finishing this degree when I passed Roman law in my first year with Professor Nikola Mojovic. In the second year, the major challenge was criminal law with Professor Ivanka Markovic, and when I passed that, I met the conditions to advance to the third year. I carried over only one exam from the third to the fourth year, but unfortunately, in the first semester of my final year, I contracted COVID-19 and thought I wouldn’t survive, let alone finish law school. That was a difficult period for everyone, but I overcame the illness, and after that, I had 11 exams left. The last one was Great Legal Systems with Professor Igor Milinkovic, which I passed in February last year,” Tosic says.
She adds that many people asked her why she decided to enroll in university at an older age and what benefit she had from studying.
“My answer was always that I love learning, and knowledge is the only wealth that cannot be taken away. That’s why I tell everyone to believe in themselves and their abilities – never give up on your goal, no matter how difficult it may be,” Tosic concluded.
