TEODORA THANKS ACO STANIŠIĆ AND IGOR DODIK FOR HELP IN CONTINUING HER EDUCATION IN BANJA LUKA

PALE, SEPTEMBER 30 /SRNA/ - Geodesy and geoinformatics student Teodora Drinjak from Pale has secured accommodation in a student dormitory in Banja Luka, where she will continue her studies after being subjected to harassment on ethnic grounds and disciplinary proceedings at the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Sarajevo over a verse or an entire song she posted on social media.

Drinjak said she wanted to sincerely thank MP Aco Stanišić and SNSD Organizational Secretary Igor Dodik for the help, understanding and support they gave her during an exceptionally difficult period, which came immediately after SRNA reported that she had found herself at a crossroads in her life.

In a statement to SRNA, she said the support from Stanišić and Dodik meant far more to her than simply being able to continue her studies, because it made her realize she was not alone and that there were people willing to help when it mattered most.

"Once again, I sincerely thank them for the help, understanding and humanity they showed me. I will do my best through my work and effort to justify the trust they have placed in me," Drinjak said.

She said she had been forced to leave the faculty in Sarajevo after harassment on ethnic grounds and the launch of disciplinary proceedings over a verse, or song, posted on her social media account.

"I was very disappointed and felt powerless to do anything. There was only one thing I knew for certain - I would not return to the faculty in Sarajevo. Thanks to their efforts and empathy, I have been given the opportunity to continue my education and not give up on my studies," Drinjak said.

Drinjak, a third-year student in the Geodesy and Geoinformatics program at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Sarajevo, decided to continue her studies at the University of Banja Luka after disciplinary proceedings were initiated against her following a complaint by the student association and a person identified only as "Benjamin" over a post on her social media account.

She had posted a verse from the song "Đenerale - Nek' je tvojoj majci hvala" /"General, May Your Mother Be Thanked"/ written in Cyrillic, which drew objections from some of her former fellow students.