04/02/2026
No Skola Today
Join us TODAY, April 2 for a special author presentation, "Becoming a Purpose Driven Author" with Anesa Kajtazovic whose book, No Škola Today portrays a child's experience of the Bosnian War and survival.
Mary Martin Lane will also share what it was like as an Iowan living and helping in the refugee camp, where she and Anesa first met.
About Anesa:
Anesa Kajtazovic and her family survived three years of the Bosnian War and refugee camps in Croatia. In 1997 they received refugee asylum and settled in Waterloo, Iowa.
After graduating from the University of Northern Iowa, Anesa became an avid volunteer in her community, and was elected as State Representative at the age of twenty-four. She is the youngest woman ever elected to the Iowa House of Representatives, and the first Bosnian-American elected to a public office in the United States.
Anesa's award-winning book, Anesa, No Škola Today was written to portray one child’s experience of war and survival. Anesa hopes her story helps us discover inspiration toward peace and freedom.
More information about Anesa can be found at www.anesakajtazovic.com.
About Mary Martin Lane:
Mary Martin, a native of southern Iowa, is a retired educator from USA fields in K-8 Language Arts, 9-12 English, and teacher education. From 1978-2009, she focused on Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Regions abroad included countries of Eastern Europe, Saudi Arabia, China, and Canada.
One major highlight was volunteer service under USA for UN Refugee Academy in post war Croatia and Bosnia, 1996. This led to Mary Martin’s residence in Waterloo, Iowa, where she was employed by the Waterloo Community School District to support the design of an English language and culture learning center for refugees and immigrants
