Montenegro comes to america 

Danilo Škerović - Feb 5, 2026 

My name is Danilo Škerović and I am an exchange student from Montenegro. I've spent the past five months in the United States enjoying many amazing cultural experiences

Recently, I got the opportunity to share my culture with other Americans.

An invitation to speak at the ASSE area representatives meeting on Jan. 11 gave me the opportunity to introduce my home country, Montenegro, to an international audience.

The meeting was held at the First Methodist Church in Huntsville, and I had only a few days to prepare a presentation about a country many people here were unfamiliar with.

My goal was to highlight what gives Montenegro and its people a unique identity, from our history and traditions to food, school life and common stereotypes.

So with a proud attitude, fitting for somebody who is about to introduce their country to a group of curious people, I made the presentation as interesting as I could.

The audience, made up of area representatives who work closely with exchange students, remained engaged throughout the presentation.

“I would love to visit this country one day,” was a comment I heard often after showing photos of Montenegro’s nature and cities.

Patricia Fisher also joked, “I have to hang these up on my fridge,” referring to the 10 Montenegrin Commandments, a humorous part of the presentation that reflects our cultural stereotype -- laziness.

After the presentation, the discussion shifted to the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program and the challenges of bringing international students to the United States. Unfortunately, due to funding from the U.S. Department of State, the program has been canceled in Montenegro until further notice.

Even so, families can still support cultural exchange by considering hosting an exchange student. By welcoming someone from another country, families can help keep international exchange programs alive.

My three favorite Montenegrin Commandments 

No. 2 -- “Love thy bed, as you love thyself.”

No. 3 -- “Rest during the day, so you can sleep at night.”

No. 6 -- “Work as little as you can and convey all the work you can to another.”