For many Albanian students studying abroad is a dream, but also a challenge. Arlind Ahmetaj is one of those who actually made it.
“I left Albania when I was fifteen,” Arlind tells us. Afterward, he won a scholarship in one of Europe’s top-ranked colleges.
“I studied in an American college in Belgium”, reveals Arlind. His hard work eventually paid off and he even received a congratulatory letter signed by then US President Barack Obama.
“It was a special feeling in fact as it caught me unprepared. I didn’t know that the school was giving this award, so let’s say it was twice as good of an experience, on one hand, it wasn’t my intent to get this title, but it was more of an appreciation for the considerable work I had done during those three years”, Ahmetaj says.
He explains that the prize is only awarded to a very limited number of students, put in numbers, less than around 0.1% of all students studying in the United States.
After graduating, he did not think much about what to do next. “Public speaking has always been a passion of mine, I’ve always been passionate about communicating with people, and I did a sort of an assessment of what I considered as my strongest points, so I got into law”.
His excellent grades got him through The Hague University, and then follow up his master’s studies in one of the most coveted universities in the world for law.
“Like The Hague University, even the University College of London, where I earned my Master’s degree, are both quite challenging to get admitted, especially the latter which is one of the six best universities in the world in the field of justice. At The Hague University, we were initially 500 students, and when I graduated, there were only 60 of us left”, he said.
After completing his studies, he was hired at the Court of The Hague.
But what made him leave the Netherlands and one of the most prestigious courts in the world, in exchange for Albania?
“I wanted to give my modest contribution to Albania, become a lawyer, and get into juridical matters in Albania. This is the reason why I gave Albania a chance and I haven’t regretted that”, he says.
After 5 years, Arlind Ahmetaj works in one of the largest law firms in the country but continues to be quite engaged in causes that are actually tangible for citizens.
Arlind reiterates he never regretted his decision to return to his home country, and also has a message to all other youngsters that are facing similar dilemmas, to which he found a solution 5 years ago:
“From my 5-years experience, I’ve noticed that every student who has the will to study, and is dedicated, but above all, love what he does, although it may seem a bit of a cliché, it’s true, you can make it”, he concluded.
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