Klaudia Vospálková: Investing into education pays off

Klaudia Vospálková has always dreamed that one day she would become the most powerful woman on the planet. Those ambitions of hers just became a bit more achievable.

"When I was little, we had to fill in a questionnaire at school about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I said I wanted to be President of the United States. Most of my classmates wanted to become singers," Klaudia laughs.

"I have always been interested in justice, that's why I wanted to become President," says the 21-year-old. "If not President, then a lawyer or politician."

Klaudia is currently studying law in the second year of the lifelong learning program at Masaryk University in Brno, and in September she is also planning to complete her studies at the Management Institute in Prague, where she will earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. She grew up with three siblings in Spišská Nová Ves, Slovakia, hearing from an early age that success can only be achieved through hard work.

"My Mom runs the family restaurant and Dad is the director of a personnel agency and also a municipal assembly member in Košice. My older brother works with Dad at the firm and my younger brother and sister are in primary school. I work half-time as a cashier at Cinema City in Brno and help Dad in the firm," says Klaudia, who is used to keeping herself busy.

"At home it was always hectic. As a child I did a lot of after-school activities, I did acrobatic rock and roll dance, hip-hop dance, and I sang. I used to compete in the school Olympics and stuff," says Klaudia, whose dream of becoming a lawyer seems about to come true.

Within the next five to 10 years she would like to complete her studies at Masaryk University. The she would like to begin a successful career as a business lawyer at an international company or organization.

She also hopes that if she focuses on her work and her dream comes true, she will inspire other Romani people to head in the same direction. "I firmly believe in the words of one of the founders of the USA, Benjamin Franklin: 'An investment in knowledge pays the best interest'," she said.

This article was written as part of the "for Roma, with Roma" project.