On Tuesday, March 15, 2022, IUS Software Engineering study program hosted Mr. Sabahudin Tričić. He is a software engineer, university educator, consultant for many universities in the USA and CEO of Thyme Systems. This public talk was about Software Engineering industry, but a part of his talk was his own inspiring story from losing his sight during the war to becoming a professor at several US universities.
Mr. Tričić is originally from Eastern Bosnia and was a 2nd year student of Mechanical Engineering when the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina started. He joined the army but got seriously injured and had to look for medical help outside of Bosnia. He arrived in the USA only to be informed by the doctors that his eyesight was permanently damaged, and he was going to stay blind for the rest of his life. The initial shock was substituted by a strong will to succeed and make something out of his life. Besides learning to do basic everyday tasks, such as crossing the street and pouring water into a glass without spilling it, he had to learn English because at the time he did not know a single word of it.
Within a year he learned the language, enrolled in a university and started practicing karate. After graduating from the Department of Computer Science in 1999, he started applying for jobs, but it was not an easy task either. After 250 applications, he finally got a job at a local company and the rest is history. His career skyrocketed from then on and after several years in the industry, he realized that it was not only important to learn from the best, but to share that knowledge as well. He wanted to connect the industry and the academia, so he enrolled in postgraduate studies and started teaching at universities in 2008.
During all these years in the States, he has continued practicing different martial arts because he believes in a clear mind and a healthy body, and currently he is 4th dan in karate. He has joined numerous competitions and stays on top of his game in the software engineering industry. In the end of his talk, he gave students valuable advice regarding coding, programming, meeting their clients’ needs and problem-solving tips.
