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Leonora Dedvukaj: A First-Gen Journey

Leonora Dedvukaj is a 21-year-old junior at Wayne State University studying public relations. She is a first-generation American whose father immigrated to the US from Montenegro. Dedvukaj and her siblings are the first in their family to attend college. In her spare time, Dedvukaj works at Pandora jewelry and hopes to one day work in public relations for them. Obtaining a college degree is an important opportunity for Dedvukaj and her family, as her father immigrated to the US seeking better opportunities.

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232 views2 pages

Leonora Dedvukaj: A First-Gen Journey

Leonora Dedvukaj is a 21-year-old junior at Wayne State University studying public relations. She is a first-generation American whose father immigrated to the US from Montenegro. Dedvukaj and her siblings are the first in their family to attend college. In her spare time, Dedvukaj works at Pandora jewelry and hopes to one day work in public relations for them. Obtaining a college degree is an important opportunity for Dedvukaj and her family, as her father immigrated to the US seeking better opportunities.

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Word Count: 382

Getting To Know You


By Alana Stultz
Wayne State University
Com 2100, January 23, 2017

In the world we live in, there is a lot of controversy. One of the more hot-button issues is

the topic of immigration. In a community like Detroit and at a university like Wayne State, there

are a myriad of different people and cultures coming together for opportunity.

One way to celebrate these cultures is to take notice of them. Sometimes, taking a closer

look at classmates can reveal great stories.

Leonora Dedvukaj is 21-years old and is currently a junior at Wayne State University.

She is a first-generation American citizen, born in the United States. Her family comes from a

European background.

My father immigrated from Montenegro when he was 27-years old, said Dedvukaj,

and my two older sisters were born in Montenegro.

At the time, Montenegro was still considered Yugoslavia according to BBC News the

country obtained its independence in 2006.

Dedvukaj and her siblings are the first in their family to go to college, a feat not as

attainable in Montenegro. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Dedvukaj

and her siblings are not alone. Studies done by the National Center for Education Statistics state

that at least 30% of incoming college freshman are first-generation college students.
Dedvukaj is in her third year at Wayne State University after transferring from Macomb

Community college one year ago. She is currently enrolled in the Public Relations program at

Wayne State. She is a full-time student.

In her spare time, she works at Pandora, which is a jewelry store at Partridge Creek Mall

in Clinton Twp, Michigan.

I love the company and I hope to one day become a public relations representative for

Pandora, Dedvukaj said.

She also enjoys spending time with family and communicating through social media sites

such as Twitter and Snapchat. Her mother is a stay-at-home mom and frequently makes

traditional foods of their culture such as different kinds of breads.

While she has never gone to Montenegro and visited remaining family there, Dedvukaj

says she would love to.

The country is really a beautiful one, said Dedvukaj.

The thought of graduating from college with a professional degree is an overwhelming

joy for both Dedvukaj and her parents.

My father came here for opportunity, said Dedvukaj, and the opportunity for a higher

education is a very important one.

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