Junior shooting guard Amra Mehmedic appears to be the perfect practitioner of the St. Joseph’s battle cry, “The Hawk will never die.”
Off the court, the native of Bosnia long ago learned about perseverance and has succeeded in life after spending her formative years in a country where death was a daily opponent.
“There was always a war going on in the background,” said Mehmedic, describing her homeland in which hostilities were fierce until a truce was achieved several years ago.
“Every night we were thankful that we made it through the day. The front lines were 20 minutes from my house, and people were getting killed by the army.
“Our summer house, 30 minutes away from where my family lives now, was burned and destroyed during the conflict. You couldn’t walk safely on the street. You never knew when they will shoot us.
“We didn’t have electricity, heat and water. One year, we hardly had any food. Life was really difficult.”
Mehmedic’s home was in Zenica, a city of several hundred thousand located about 45 minutes from Sarajevo.
Her favorite book is “Who Moved My Cheese?” an intriguing selection considering that the work by Spencer Johnson focuses on how to make successful changes in one’s life.
Consider that she is a Muslim attending a Catholic university and the implications of that selection in light of her background.
“At first, I didn’t mention it to anyone [in Bosnia] that I am going to a Catholic school,” Mehmedic said. “I knew some people would get upset with me.
“For many people here [in America], that might not make any sense. You would understand, however, if you lost your house or a son or someone from your family.
“Living in America really helped me to change my view, and now all my close friends here are Catholics. My family and friends understand and support my decision. There is always someone who didn’t understand, and if I was worried about what other people think, I wouldn’t be wearing a St. Joe’s uniform.”
Asked about her impressions of the United States, Mehmedic lauded “the opportunity to explore your talents and succeed in life. Unlike my country, here you can make things happen if you work hard.”
However, the double major in finance and economics frowns on the “high-speed” lifestyle of Americans. “Everything is rush, rush,” she said.
Mehmedic, who averages 10.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, was recruited by former St. Joseph’s coach Stephanie Gaitley, who had connections in that part of Europe.
St. Joseph’s coach Cindy Griffin considers Mehmedic to be the key player to fuel a Hawks rally or keep one going.
“She likes to take the big shots when we need her to take them,” Griffin said of the shooting guard. “She always seems to get us out of a bind with a three-pointer. She has a lot of spirit and plays with a lot of heart.”
The Hawks’ arduous nonconference schedule enabled Mehmedic to play against top-ranked Duke in Durham, N.C., and defending NCAA champion Connecticut in Hartford before a crowd of 16,000.
“It was really an awesome experience,” Mehmedic said of the games, in which St. Joseph’s lost by identical 82-48 scores. “It felt great to be on the same floor against some of the best players in the country. I was impressed with (Duke junior) Alana Beard–her athleticism, her ability to score and make everyone else around her look good.”
How Mehmedic gravitated to her sport is a fascinating story.
“During the war in 1994, I started to play street ball with my friends,” Mehmedic said. “Our parents wouldn’t let us go far away because of the shooting. So we made a basket on the tree in between two buildings where we were safe to play. I had a good time and never stopped playing.”
Mehmedic cited her first coach, Dzenana Neimarlija, later a teammate with Bosnia’s national program, as her role model in the sport.
“Her work ethic, her dedication, her love for the game and the drive to work with younger players made her very special to me,” she said.
Mehmedic picked St. Joseph’s over Siena, St. Bonaventure and Florida International.
“I knew St. Joe’s was the place for me,” Mehmedic said. “Small school with a good education and a good basketball program was what I was looking for. I just wanted to come in USA and experience something different.”
Mehmedic’s father, Ibrahim, is a doctor who treats people with kidney problems.
With the Bosnian economy destroyed by the war, she said, his pay is about $600 a month.
“It’s really sad when you see people that have graduated college, go to med school, specialize and (only) made $500 to $600 a month,” Mehmedic said. “Then you come to college and you see students drive cars here, and you think, `Oh, man. What’s wrong with this picture?'”
Mehmedic also was dismissive of the stereotype of Muslim attire for women.
“I wear shorts; my mother wears shorts,” Mehmedic said. “My grandmother wears traditional clothes because she is very religious.”
Mehmedic would love to play in the WNBA, but if it doesn’t happen, she said she has connections that will allow her to participate on European teams.
