Bosnian Refugee Earns Top Honors at Affton High School

In 15 years, Adela Cajic went from being a fleeing refuge to the class valedictorian at .

Her Bosnian Muslim family escaped the “ethnic cleansing” in 1992 and settled in St. Louis after living in Germany for four years, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. 

On May 27, Cajic’s family watched her graduate at the top of class. She also earned a full-ride scholarship to Stanford University.

"I wanted to go to a high-achieving school and Stanford was my dream," Cajic told the Post. "When I heard I got in, I was home with a cold. My mom called me and told me to check my email. I looked and saw that I made it. I just flipped out."

Cajic is the youngest of three to attend college and mother Amira said education was a top priority in the family.

The graduate earned honors ranging from the President’s Award for Education Excellence to first place in the 2011 National French Essay Contest.

Read more about Cajic and her family on stltoday.com.