Imagine it’s December 1994 and you are forced to escape a deadly war. There is nobody you know in the United States except your boyfriend who lives in Chicago, a city you’ve never been to and have little knowledge of. You have no choice but to leave your family, friends, job, and education behind. This is what math teacher and mom of triplets Jasminka Jukic had to do.
“I came as a war refugee. Leaving was very difficult because you had to do it. It wasn’t a choice and coming to the United States was a huge culture shock since you had to learn a new language, get used to a whole different culture, and so many more things had to change,” Jukic said.
When reminiscing on the old days, Jukic explains how the school system here is very different from the school system in Croatia.
“The school day is different, the curriculum is different, methods are different, and the resources are different. Working there and working here are two very different jobs.”
Jukic experienced change when coming from schooling during wartime to American schooling.
“I taught for two years at an electroengineering school and there is a lot of high math there. It was a very difficult school and there were very poor resources for the students. You know, 20 years ago, there weren’t computers available at school. But the hardest part of the schooling was the fact that you didn’t know if you would survive or not,”she said. “I tried everything to engage the students, but, fortunately, some of them knew that if they received a good education then they can leave this land and give themselves a good, safe life.”
Jukic incorporates the Bosnian and Croatian culture and tactics of learning into her everyday life.
“For Algebra 2, long division is important in many units, so I teach my students the way I was taught how to do long division. Sometimes my students go into the Literacy Center to get help and their tutors, who didn’t have me as a teacher, will have no idea how this process of long division works, However, once the tutors figure out how to do long division the way I teach my students, they say how much easier it is to do long division that way,” Jukic explained.
Jukic celebrates the holidays she did when she lived in Croatia, she continues to cook traditional Croatian food, and she ensured that her children were fluent in the language. She has triplets that are juniors at Niles North High School and she is proud to say that they can read and speak in the Serbo-Croatian language.
Jukic has had a very large, positive impact on many students at Niles West.
“She [Jukic] is one of the most respectful, kind, caring individuals I have ever met. I have been in Bosnian and Montenegrin Club for the past 4 years and I had Ms. Jukic as an Algebra 2 teacher, so I know her pretty well. As a club sponsor, she is very organized and creative. As a teacher, she is helpful and pushes you to do your best,” senior Anela Arabelovic said.
