My name is Vladimir Mavar and I am 37 years old. I was born in Biloxi, Mississippi on the Gulf Coast, having lived with my now deceased mother in a typical idyllic environment. My mother was a single parent, hailed from Yugoslavia (from the constituent republic now known as Croatia) and took any directive to make my life easier. She succumbed to kidney disease in 1985, shortly after we both moved to the Croatia. I have been bilingual since an early age and found the social environment in Croatia a bit baffling, but I adapted. My high school major was economics; within the span of one month within completing high school war broke out that marked the end of Yugoslavia as it was known until that point. I took refuge with relatives until the conflict was over, attended college-level courses in Split, Croatia and within several months came back to the United States. Life has never been without its tribulations, but I managed to enroll in the business program at the local community college on the Gulf Coast, eventually moving to New Orleans to attain my bachelors in finance and MBA from the University of New Orleans. I have always had an avid interest in topics dealing with the scientific realm as well as a love of science fiction. Since the fall of 1993, I have been employed with restaurants, universities, inventory auditing companies, tax preparation companies, as well as several temporary positions in bookkeeping and accounts payable. As of today, I am still optimistic about the future and the possibilities that lay in store for me. Thank you for your time.