Flamur Vehapi was 15 years old when Kosovo, his beloved homeland, erupted into a chaos of ethnic warfare that pitted Serbians against Kosovar Albanians. “The war lasted two years and 12,000 Albanians were killed,” said Vehapi, now 22 and in his second year of studying psychology at RCC. Vehapi is this year’s RCC international student. In exchange for paying in-state tuition rather than international rates, he speaks to classes and civic groups, sharing information about life in the Balkans.

Vehapi recalls the years of warfare, and says if not for the U.S. initiative to stop the ethnic cleansing, the brutal violence likely would still be going on. “We lost everything. Our home was destroyed. But we were lucky. A Serbian soldier pointed his gun at us, but another soldier knew my father and told him, ‘Don’t kill my friend,’” he recalled. U.N. peacekeepers remain in Kosovo, and former President Bill Clinton, who is very popular among the Kosovar Albanians for intervening, has visited several times, Vehapi said.

Seeking shelter from the violence, the family’s exile took them to refugee camps in Macedonia, Italy and Switzerland. Along the way Vehapi studied other languages. He’s proficient in English, Turkish, Italian, German, Serbian, and speaks some French. “I love learning foreign languages,” he said. Three years ago, after his family had returned to Kosovo to start over, Vehapi was hired as an English translator by a group of American missionaries who’d come to Kosova to help residents rebuild and bring food and clothing. Among the missionaries were members of the Offenbacher family from Ruch. They invited him to attend college in Oregon and offered him a place to live. First, however, he had to pass an English test to obtain a visa. “I studied two years to pass. My goal was to come to U.S. for an education,” he said. Vehapi attended his country’s sole university and volunteered teaching English at his high school. On the third try he passed the exam and got a visa.

Vehapi is a student government officer (commissioner of clubs) and works at the RVC Information Desk and in the Diver­sity Center.
His experience in the Diversity Center has been positive, he said. “I’ve been learning how to talk about acceptance and working together,” he explained. Earlier this fall he returned to Kosova for his brother’s wedding. His family is rebuilding their lives, he said, but progress is slow in a country with 80 percent unemployment.

After graduating from RCC this spring, he hopes to attend Southern Oregon University and major in psychology. His goal: return to Kosovo and serve as a counselor. “Many people remain traumatized. Some lost nine out of 10 family members,” he said. “Maximum wage is only $200 a month, but it is better to work for my country. It is a beautiful country.”

Back home he’d published a book of his poems, written in Albanian, that includes drawings of his destroyed home and other wartime scenes. Translated versions of the poetry will appear in an upcoming issue of the Byline, the RCC student newspaper. “RCC has been a new life,” Vehapi said. “I’ve met a lot of people and made many friends.” One of the best things about Rogue, he added, is the cooperation between students and teachers. “In Kosovo, because teachers make just $200 a month they have to work at other jobs. Here instructors can take the time to work with you and help you understand. There are so many opportunities here.”