Unique opportunity for Kosovo college students

Photo By Ardian Nrecaj | Shkumbin Halabaku worked as part of summer intern program that was offered by Area Support Team Balkans at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. This was the first time that internship positions were opened at Camp Bondsteel. Their duties included typing, filing, answering phones, assisting customers, couriering paperwork to other offices, and preparing access badges.  

CAMP BONDSTEEL, KOSOVO

09.18.2014

Story by Ardian Nrecaj 

KFOR Regional Command East

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - Area Support Team Balkans offered a part-time summer internship program for five college students from Kosovo; which was the first time that internship positions were opened at Camp Bondsteel.

Some of their duties included typing, filing, answering phones, assisting customers, couriering paperwork to other offices, and preparing access badges. All of the students are enrolled in college and had very good English skills.

Della Hodges, director of AST Balkans explained that the program developed as a mentoring program for Kosovo students to improve their job skills following college.

“One of the requirements was for them to have a family affiliation with Camp Bondsteel, which would be a parent or immediate relative such as aunt, uncle, sister or brother working at Camp Bondsteel,” said Hodges. “Many hard-working employees at Bondsteel scrimp and save to give their children a better future than they had growing up. This is the same as U.S. parents or parents worldwide, no matter what country they live in, they always want a better future for their children.”

Shkelzen Neziri, 20, whose father works at Camp Bondsteel, is studying computer science at College Riinvest in Prishtina. Neziri, who was assigned to AST Housing, explained that even though his field of study is different from what he has done during his internship at Camp Bondsteel, it taught him how to work as a team and with different nationalities.

“I never did an internship before, and I have learned many things working here. It helped me improve highly my English skills since I had day to day contact with U.S. and foreign Soldiers,” said Neziri.

Neziri continued “among other duties at Housing, we were managing the room keys, keeping daily logs for all the keys that were signed out, reserving rooms for Soldiers staying at Camp Bondsteel and coordinating their schedule on when they will arrive and leave.”

Neziri believes that this experience will be a great benefit to him.

“This internship and this experience will help me in the future when I am seeking jobs; I would like to thank AST for giving us this great opportunity,” Neziri said.

Another one of the five interns was Shkumbin Halabaku, a 20 year old who is studying political science at Utica College in New York.

Halabaku a Kosovo native who earned a scholarship to study in U.S., also thinks that this internship will help him when applying for jobs in the future.

“I think this internship is going to be very helpful to me. The fact that I did an internship with Camp Bondsteel is very valuable. It has taught me to work as a team and I have learned to take more responsibility in my work,” said Halabaku.

Halabaku worked at AST’s real estate contracting office.

“Some of my duties included photocopying contracts and ownership documents, filing documents and contracts. I also helped the contracting office to contact local vendors by translating and setting up meetings,” added Halabaku.

Intern Arbresha Osmani studies economy at Prishtina University, and did her internship at the AST Personnel Center.

“I helped at AST PAC with everyday work, preparing vehicle passes, filing documents and visitor badges for the 4th of July that the office prepared,” said Osmani.

“All the people that I worked and served at PAC were really nice to me,” added Osmani. “I would like to thank everyone for giving us this chance where I have learned a lot.”

Nuri Dauti, AST housing supervisor, said that the interns performed exceptionally well during the three month summer program.

“During their work time spent at AST Housing, they’ve shown that they are very competent and reliable individuals. They’ve also shown very good interaction with U.S. military, DOD civilians, contractors and foreign military soldiers,” added Dauti.

• Date Taken: 09.18.2014
• Date Posted: 09.18.2014 10:49
• Story ID: 142529
• Location: CAMP BONDSTEEL, ZZ