A little bit about Ana . . .

My name is Ana Culic, and I am currently in grade 12. I attend Orchard Park Secondary School, and I am pursuing my education further. I was born November 19, 1991 in Bosansko Grahovo, Bosnia and Hercegovina. I am Serbian Christian Orthodox and very proud of were I come from. I have taken writers craft to learn different styles of writing and help me in university. I personally am I very outgoing and out spoken person, which gives me no particular boundaries to my writing. I believe that freedom of expression and thought is one thing which truly motivates people.

I was born in Bosnia, in an area particularly populated with Serbian people. Growing up as a Serb in Bosnia was a very difficult life. I was always woken up to bombs falling, and guns blasting. After some time, this noise to me was the same as a bird chirping out of my window. When my family was forced to move away, due to the growing dangers, we were only aloud to take two suitcases with us. Leaving the only home I ever knew was hard and definitely gave me a greater perspective of life even at a young age. We lived in Serbia with some family until 1997, when we were granted refugee status in Canada. Looking how my parents brought me to a country full of hope, without knowing the language or the culture helps give me motivation that people can achieve their goals. I am really grateful that my parents were able to give me everything they could never image. I can say I’m a little bit spoiled but I am also grateful for every little bit of what I get.

Throughout my life I have always been taught never to discriminate others, but to still continue to be proud of whom I am and were I cam from. I have always been proud of my heritage but I am happy I have a connection with my religion also. When my sister was born I thought my whole world would change for the worse, but me and my sister have grown to become the best of friends. My sister has always been there to motivate me and always there to talk to. From styling tips to relationship talks she has been nothing but a positive in my life. In addition, I as a person like to write many thoughts down when they cannot be expressed. I believe that it is important not to keep things bottled inside and its better when thoughts are expressed. I think that through writing there is not any pressure, and that essentially it is a way to express the imaginations and thoughts inside of us.

I have been through many things in my life, from war, to destruction which all gives me a greater perspective on life. It gives me thoughts about the way people evolve and how corrupt society can be. All in all, writing gives me a break from the real harsh realities of the world and lets me express my thoughts and feelings freely.