Hello! My name is Tacarra Lake and I am a sophomore at the University of New Mexico. I am majoring in International Studies with a concentration in Conflict, Peace and Diplomacy. When I was eleven years old, I was removed from public school and instead homeschooled. That same year, I also saw a BBC documentary that began my fascination with Bosnia-Herzegovina. Over the past two years, I have interned in a Congressional office, become a member of Phi Theta Kapa and studied the Russian languages. However, without having studied abroad, I feel that my undergraduate experience is incomplete.

During my junior year, I will participate in two study abroad programs. I will spend my fall semester in Croatia, studying at the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Law. During my spring semester, I have chosen to study in Sarajevo at the American University of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Abroad, I will combine the theoretical lessons in international criminal law and learn how they are applied to the victim’s justice in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Later, I hope to use my knowledge to work either with a U.S. governmental agency or NGO seeking justice for victims of atrocities. FEA’s scholarship has given me the incredible opportunity to study in Bosnia-Herzegovina. I know that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance that will shape the person that I will become and my outlook on the world around me.