As young children, siblings Goran and Nina Musinovic were forced to flee from their home in Sarajevo, Bosnia, during the civil war in Yugoslavia.
Supporting each other along the way, they immigrated to America, overcame the language barrier, excelled as undergraduates at UT, and went on to study in the College of Law. Goran graduated in 2009 and today his sister, Nina, receives her law degree.
After leaving Sarajevo, Goran and Nina lived with their mother in Serbia for three years. Their father was forced to stay behind in Sarajevo. After three years of separation, the family immigrated to the United States and was reunited in Knoxville in 1995. Goran was 11 and Nina was seven.
In a new country, the language barrier made making new friends difficult, so Goran and Nina became best friends and fierce allies.
Goran was an honors student as an undergraduate in the College of Business Administration and he continued to excel in law school. After graduation, he practiced at Smith, Currie, & Hancock in Atlanta for four years. Recently Goran returned to Knoxville with his wife, Sheena, and their son, Leo, and he now practices with Woolf, McClaine, Bright, Allen, & Carpenter.
Nina, also a graduate of the UT College of Business Administration, will join the firm of Butler, Vines, & Babb after graduation.
“The past three years at UT Law have been some of the best years of my life,” Nina said. “From day one, I was welcomed into a warm, friendly, and challenging environment. I have grown as a person, developed strong relationships with my fellow classmates and the faculty and staff, and have gotten a first-class education. I am sad to be done with this chapter of my life, but I know that I am prepared to enter the legal profession with all the tools UT Law has given me.”
Both Goran and Nina attribute their success to their parents, whose sacrifice, hard work, love, and devotion enabled them to come to America, focus on school, and excel.
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C O N T A C T :
Amy Blakely (865-9745034, ablakely@utk.edu)
Roger Hagy, (865-974-6788, rhagy1@utk.edu)