American Dream come true: How a Maine mother and son changed young Bosnian man’s destiny

SANFORD, Maine — While serving in the U.S. Army in Bosnia in the late 1990s, Adam Cote asked his interpreter, Vlajko Nikolic, to share his biggest wish in life.

“I wish my son could get a real education because the war here shut down all the schools,” Nikolic answered.

Cote understood. Although the war in Bosnia ended with the Dayton Peace Accord a few years earlier, schools were still closed as the country recovered. Nikolic said his son, Ogy, was talented and smart and would benefit from resuming his education.

“Let me write some letters home and see what we can do,” Cote said.

Cote’s question for his interpreter was consistent with many of his interactions with the Bosnian people. Everywhere he served, from Bosnia to Iraq to Afghanistan, Cote approached those who lived there and asked them about their lives, often over cups of coffee. It was something Cote did back here in Maine, as well, when he ran for U.S. representative in 2008 and for governor in 2018.

Cote reached out to his mother, Kitty Ahlquist Chadbourne, who lived in Saco, and told her about his interpreter’s wish. Chadbourne went right to work, in time overcoming obstacles and securing a Saco Bay Rotary scholarship that provided Ogy Nikolic with an opportunity to come to America to finish his education.

Nikolic spent his senior year at Thorton Academy in Saco, studying hard to make good grades and getting involved in school sports. He lived with two local families during his time as a student.

After he graduated, Nikolic attended Southern Maine Community College and studied engineering. At one point, he transferred to the University of Maine at Orono, living off-campus in Bangor and Old Town and earning his degree in the field he began studying at SMCC.

And now, all these years later? Nikolic is married, and he and his wife, Sanja, have two children, Anastasija, 8, and Stefan, 5. He also is the owner of a successful web design business with offices based in Maine and southern Europe.

Last month, Cote and Nikolic reunited, enjoying dinner with their families and catching a memorable Maine sunset. It was the first time they had spent time together since Nikolic served as a pallbearer at Cote’s mother’s funeral four years ago. Chadbourne died in 2019 following a battle against ALS.

On that night of the dinner and sunset, Cote and Nikolic reminisced about the woman who made such a difference in both of their lives.

“I really wish she could’ve seen the fruits of her efforts,” Cote said.

Albracca home in York: Historic home in York is now available to rent for $25K a week

Coming to America, thanks to Rotary scholarship

Nikolic first touched ground in America when his plane landed at Logan Airport in Boston. Getting out of the airport took a while, he said, mainly because his passport was issued by Yugoslavia, which no longer existed as a nation.

As officials handled paperwork and procedures, Nikolic said he felt like the character played by Tom Hanks in “The Terminal,” the 2004 film directed by Steven Spielberg. In that movie, the Hanks character arrives at an American airport, only to learn that the government of his home country had been overthrown during his flight. As a result, he was stuck inside the airport, unable to enter the United States.

Once en route to Maine, with Chadbourne at the wheel, Nikolic was able to get his first glimpses of the country that would help him forge his path in life.

Actually, it was inside the car that Nikolic got his first taste of American life. He heard a ringing sound he had never heard while riding in a vehicle. It turned out to be Chadbourne’s mobile phone, a luxury that had not yet become common in his homeland. And the caller was his father, who was checking with Chadbourne to make sure his son had landed, safe and sound.

Not all surprises were technological, however. Another ringing sound woke up Nikolic during one of his first mornings staying with his host family.

“I was wondering what these people were doing, ringing a bell in the morning, upstairs and downstairs,” Nikolic said. “I found out it was a cat they had in the house. He had a little bell around his neck. That was a bit of a shock.”

Nikolic did not speak English much when he first arrived, but he learned the language and made his way into America’s “supersized” culture by immersing himself in it. He took Cote’s advice. At Thorton Academy, he got involved in extracurricular activities, such as soccer, swimming and lacrosse.

“That’s where you make the best friends, through extracurricular activities,” Nikolic said.

In college, Nikolic earned that engineering degree, in part by spending some time abroad in Ireland. After graduating, he moved back to Bosnia and began pursuing his career.

Step Up Parents: How group helped a York grandmother keep the lights on for her grandkids

Nikolic behind Sweep & Go app

Nikolic hit the jackpot a few years ago with the web design business. He and his company, OGO Sense, LLC, created a new cell phone app called Sweep & Go.

If you own a dog, Sweep & Go allows you to locate a professional animal-waste specialist, or “pooper scooper,” whose business is located nearby.

“You basically hire these guys to come to your house and pick up dog poop,” Nikolic said.

Nikolic said he got the idea after his business did some custom work for a Colorado-based “pooper scooper” company.

In 2019, Nikolic attended a pooper-scooper convention in South Carolina – yes, there is such a thing – and walked away with only a few clients. That concerned his wife, given how much money he invested in the app. Nikolic stayed the course, however. Now, a few years later, there are approximately 170 pooper-scooper companies across the United States that are registered with his app.

“It’s a growing market,” Nikolic said. “There’s a big need for this because people do not have the time. They want to streamline house chores.”

In a Zoom interview, Nikolic called up a map of the United States that was filled with dots, from east to west and north to south, showing where clients were using Sweep & Go to manage their poop-scooping.

Nikolic said the Sweep & Go app accounts for roughly 80% of the work of his company. The app also helps its clients with their scheduling, billing and payroll.

“People really like it,” he said.

York County real estate market: How a modest home on the York River became a $3 million property

Nikolic forever grateful for opportunity in America

Nikolic received an education and became an entrepreneur in America. He had the discipline, drive, commitment and abilities to make both happen, and he knows who gifted him the ball he ran with. The role that Cote and Chadbourne played in his success was critical, he said.

“Obviously, I would not have done any of this if they didn’t help me,” he said. “They are 100% responsible for where I am today.”

Cote said he feels the same way about their friendship. He said his life has been "tremendously impacted" by having Ogy and Vlajko in his life.

"It's made me realize how friendships can grow over the years and how a simple conversation and consistent effort can truly change someone's life," Cote said.

Cote praised his friend for his hard work ethic and positive attitude.

"Ogy is a special person," he said. "His hard work has paid off, and I'm glad I was able to play a small role in helping him achieve his dreams."

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: How a Maine mother and son changed a young Bosnian man’s destiny