Article Title: Sead Drljacic's Seen War, a Labor Camp, But Now The Future's Bright

Edition: August 2001
Category: Profile
Author: Nat Frothingham
Article:

Sead Drljacic, 37, who immigrated to America in 1996 with his wife and daughter and settled in Montpelier said that leaving his native Bosnia was "kind of a simple decision."

Drljacic became a prisoner of war in the conflict between the Bosnians and the Serbs. He was captured on April 17 and sent to a Serb concentration camp. Some of his fellow Bosnians were killed. Some, like him, were forced into labor daily from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.

On August 27, after about 4 1/2 months, Drljacic escaped the camp and swam across the River Saba, making an illegal entry into Croatia where he was jailed for 3 days.

"I didn't feel safe," Drljacic said. The Bosnian economy had been destroyed. His hometown was occupied by the enemy. There was no work. When the immigration authorities said, "Montpelier Vermont: take it or leave it," he choice was obvious.

Without English, everything, especially grocery shopping, was hard. Drljacic quickly joined an English class with 15 to 20 other students taught by volunteers at Montpelier's Bethany Church.

Drljacic's first job was making Rainforest Crunch candy for a business called Community Products from October to January. Then a lot of people were laid off.

In March 1997 Drljacic and his wife got jobs at Shaw's Supermarket in Berlin where he worked for 21 months, regularly clocking 65 to 70 hours per week. At the beginning he collected shopping carts from the parking lot and helped older people carry out their groceries. Later, as his English improved, he was ready to work at a cash register.

Drljacic continued to work on his English and studied with a tutor from Central Vermont Adult Basic Education. His tutor suggested that he consider enrollment at the Community College of Vermont (C.C.V.). That's when Drljacic, full of hesitation, had his first meeting with C.C.V.'s Gabrielle Dietzel, herself a German native who had immigrated to America a number of years ago.

Remembering that meeting with Dietzel, Drljacic said, "I didn't have too much English. I had very little money. I had many, many problems."

But Drljacic also remembers Dietzel and her welcome. "She had a big smile.

"Sit down," she said. "What's your name?"

Then Dietzel continued, "You're from Europe. I'm from Europe. Look at me. I did it. Come on, you can do it. You can do the same thing."

Drljacic enrolled at C.C.V. and took three courses plus English tutoring in his first semester. He decided to concentrate on accounting. "Two plus two is four all over the world," he says with a laugh. He'll graduate with an Associates Degree next spring.

Today Drljacic shares a big, second-floor apartment on Barre Street with his wife Amira and his daughter Samira. During the working week, he is employed by the state of Vermont as a tax examiner for the Department of Taxes.

Does Drljacic enjoy his work?

"Most of the time, yes. I contact people if things are not O.K. I deny claims. If you owe one thousand dollars," he says, "I can't enjoy them."

Then he takes another tack. "Come on," he says, "I'm human. If you are getting a refund. If you are on Social Security and are owed a great deal of money, yes, then helping people -- I like it!"

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