İRMA ŽMIRIĆ ÇETİNKAYA - Istanbul Calling

I was born on a sunny spring May morning in Brčko, Bosnia. I really can't complain about my childhood, I had all one child can imagine. I spent my first four years in my country, then in 1991 together with my family, I moved to Croatia, to the small town of Umag, where I spent 14 beautiful years.

My path to IUS started after I graduated from the Language Gymnasium. It was actually my father's idea (who already worked for many years in Bosnia) for all of us to move back to our home country so we stay all together as a family.

Within all the lists of potential universities, IUS seemed to be the one that resonated with me the most. So I applied and was accepted in 2006. as a student of Visual Arts and Communication Design. In the next four years of my studying, I was really happy to be preparing for a profession of a Graphic Designer since I have always been deviating towards art, drawing, and design. I will forever remain grateful to our professors, especially professors Kenan Zekić and Zinka Bejtić who helped not just me, but our entire generation of VACD students to become what we are today.

Apart from studying, IUS was my destiny too: there I met Sadık, who was a student of Electrical Engineering, coming from Istanbul. We both graduated in the 2010. and since we didn't want to give up on our relationship, we decided to get married and move together to Turkey, to Istanbul.

I've been living in Istanbul for more than 10 years now, and I can surely say that it was one of the best decisions I ever did. In Istanbul I learned the Turkish language, finished my master degree in the Kadir Has University, became a mom to a gorgeous little girl and established a career I always dreamt of. I work in my own studio as a graphic designer and illustrator for children. For more than six years I have been working with TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) on Turkey’s oldest magazines for children. So far my clients were Turkish Ministry of National Education, many publishers such as Doğan Egmont, non - governmental organizations such as TEMA (Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion), etc... I am also an official member of the Turkish Illustrators Platform Agency. This year my written and illustrated book was published too. I just can't wait to see what is coming next.

I shared my story in order for everyone to see that nothing is impossible, as long as you follow your heart and do what fulfils you the most. The rest will just follow. With good education and a little bit of courage, even the apparently "impossible” life scenarios can and do become true. As long as we want it, as long as we know we are worth it.