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A group of Montenegrin students who came to learn about business at two local schools get a crash course on U.S. culture while hanging out.
By LOGAN MABE
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 16, 2003
Davor Mladic has seen the best and worst of American life, and it's making a big impression on the teenager from a small European country.
"It's completely different. New experiences," said Mladic, who was born in Croatia and now lives in the newly minted Serbia and Montenegro, the last state to emerge from the former Yugoslavia. "Some experiences were good; some were bad. But it's nice to touch different cultures."
Mladic is one of 10 students and two teachers taking part in the Montenegro Young Business Leaders Program, a joint venture between the U.S. State Department and Junior Achievement. For a month, the students have come to America to learn about applied economics, practical business skills, entrepreneurship, ethics and character.
The group is split, with half attending classes and living with families with children at Palm Harbor University High School and the other half doing the same at Sickles High School in Hillsborough County.
"The biggest difference is in the standard of living," Mladic said. "Buildings are bigger; cars are bigger. And when you see a picture of a hamburger at a fast food place, it's big and juicy, but when you get it, it's small."
With that, Mladic learned a little about advertising American-style.
Mladic is living with a Palm Harbor family in a home that is more like a castle by Montenegrin standards. "They are a wonderful family," Mladic said. "They have a pool, sauna, billiards. They're nice to me. I'd like to help out more, but everything is done automatically."
Carla Prescott, education director for the local Junior Achievement chapter, helped organize the program.
"The purpose is to experience American culture," said Prescott, an Odessa resident whose family is hosting Boris Cabrilo. "These kids are hanging out with our kids, doing what teenagers do. They're going to movies and extracurricular activities and they're also going to classes in business, economics and leadership."
The program is one of a half-dozen similar international efforts sponsored by the Youth Programs Division of the U.S. State Department. The goal is to promote democracy and free market ideals among youths from former Communist states. In all, 36 Montenegrin students are participating at a total cost of about $200,000.
Prescott said the program combines school work with good fun. So far, the students have been to Busch Gardens, Caladesi Island, Florida State Fair and the University of Tampa's Plant Museum.
In the coming week they will spend a day learning about American justice with lawyers from the state attorney's and public defender's offices, go to a Tampa Bay Lightning game, tour the Citigroup company, check out Disney World and serve as volunteers at the Verizon Classic golf tournament in Lutz.
While they're learning a lot about life here, the students also are teaching their peers about their home country.
Tamara Sarenac, 17, said the question she has been asked about her homeland is, "Where is Montenegro?" The next most asked question is "Do you have ketchup?"
"Do you have buildings? Do you have cars?" said Mladic, citing examples of the inquiries he's had. "Americans don't think globally very much. As a smaller country, we want to learn more about the world."
For the record, Montenegro does have ketchup. The nation is located on the Adriatic Sea, east of the "boot" of Italy.
On Feb. 4, the same week the students arrived in the United States, lawmakers in Belgrade endorsed the constitution of the union between the republics of Montenegro and Serbia.
Most of the students have been studying English for seven or eight years. Some were soaking up American pastimes before they got here. Denis Karovic, 17, was sporting a Warrick Dunn Buccaneer's jersey and said he and his friends stayed up until 3 a.m. to watch Tampa Bay win the Super Bowl.
"It was great," Karovic said.
-- Logan D. Mabe can be reached at (813) 269-5304 or at mabe@sptimes.com