Participant Stories
Damir Sranovic
Technical Triumphs: IAESTE United States Participant Makes Lasting Impact
From Spring 2006
When Croatian student and IAESTE United States participant Damir Srdanovic came to train at AIPT, he had no idea that his future contributions would result in a much needed and permanent IT solution for AIPT. “Our desktop applications which once were an impediment, have now become a tool towards achieving our day-to-day activities,” explained AIPT IT Director Peter Pollinger. According to Pollinger, AIPT’s strong belief in cultural exchange is why AIPT/IAESTE United States chooses to host its own exchange participants every year. ”We put into practice what we offer to our employers,” he said. “We experience the same process, trials, and tribulations that any employer experiences.”
When Srdanovic heard about the unique opportunity from his professor and mentor at the University of J.J. Strossmayer, in Osjeck, Croatia, he jumped at the chance. “This was a great opportunity to work with a diverse organization in the United States and practice some of the skills I studied in school,” he said. Pollinger, who supervised Srdanovic, said that while Srdanovic trained in numerous areas within AIPT’s IT department, his biggest contribution and learning experience was his development of a program. This new program alleviated the need for manual input by program managers and helped identify errors. “The impact to our organization was time savings and allowed our program managers to focus on their primary tasks,” Pollinger said. “More importantly, we now have the ability to process more, allowing us to better service our employers and participants.” For Srdanovic, creating this valuable software program was equally satisfying. “I learned about planning a project in detail and successfully finalizing it in a given timeframe,” he said. “I also learned to utilize my technical skills in a real business environment.”
Beyond Srdanovic’s key technical implementations, he and AIPT also benefited in other areas as a result of his training. Srdanovic explained that apart from the technical experience, the purpose of every IAESTE program is a cultural exchange and lifetime experience as well. He said that the friendships he has made and the ventures he has undertaken will remain with him forever. For AIPT, Srdanovic’s lasting impressions will go way beyond his vital software development. Pollinger said that Srdanovic has been a respected and well-liked addition to the team and will be extremely missed. He said he “has awakened the staff to some of the treasures we have in this country.”
“Hosting an international participant calls into focus your business process on how you do things on a day-to-day basis, because they bring in a different perspective, Pollinger concluded. “It also makes your staff think out of the box. Having an international intern is a wonderful experience that will add value to your organization.” AIPT would like offer our sincere gratitude to Damir Srdanovic for his wonderful and invaluable contributions. We wish you the best of luck and know you will excel in all your future endeavors.
