Jelena Tabak, a PennWest University Global Online student from Croatia, plans to apply her master’s degree in criminal justice and criminology, with a concentration in forensic linguistics, to her work back home. 

She currently runs her own company as a court interpreter and translator, working with private clients as well as Croatia’s law enforcement and justice systems. With her new PennWest degree, she hopes to expand her practice into forensic linguistics expert reporting while staying active in research and professional development. A Ph.D. is also a possibility. 

Tabak previously completed four years of university studies — equivalent to a master’s degree — in English and Italian, with a concentration in translation studies, at the University of Split in Croatia. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she pursued additional legal language training at the University of Zagreb’s law school, where she discovered forensic linguistics. Inspired by a seminar, she explored graduate programs and ultimately chose PennWest for its strong blend of linguistics and criminology. 

“I loved the forensic linguistics program,” she said, highlighting the expertise of professors Nik Roberts, James Fitzgerald, John Cencich, and Lexi Slome. “Professor Slome’s courses provided excellent linguistic education. Dr. Roberts’ criminology courses were very helpful, especially since I had never studied criminology before. Prof. Fitz’s courses were the best because we worked on practical, real-life cases. And Dr. Cencich’s course was also great — a fascinating topic, and he is a wonderful lecturer.” 

In the early 2000s, Cencich led the international team of police investigators, detectives, and special agents on the case against Slobodan Miloševic and his inner circle for crimes committed throughout Croatia. Later, he wrote a book, “The Devil’s Garden: A War Crimes Investigator’s Story,” about his experiences. 

“He wrote about an important part of my country’s history,” Tabak said. “He was the first reason I chose PennWest – and then Fitz’s seminar that I took in forensic linguistics. The book is terrific, and his work is terrific.” 

Tabak praised PennWest’s career development opportunities, including presentations by law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. She also spoke about the value and flexibility of online education from a university with three physical campuses. 

“Attending the commencement ceremony at the California campus will reinforce my feeling of belonging,” she said. “I’m eager to experience the celebration—and maybe finally buy a PennWest hoodie!”