A North Macedonian student’s tale of two Miamis

While researching colleges, Anastasija Mladenovska thought she’d become a palm tree

By J.M. Green, assistant director, content

When Amber Franklin, Speech Pathology and Audiology associate professor, told Miami students at the Perlmutter Leadership Conference that they should learn to grow where they are planted, first-year student Anastasija Mladenovska was already well on her way to maturing like a giant oak tree.

But months earlier, back in North Macedonia, she was convinced she’d be a palm tree.

“I’m forever grateful because they were pushing us to go for the best or nothing at all.”

Anastasija thought it might be nice to study in Florida. What could be better than reading her finance textbooks at the beach, strolling through the art deco historic district, and eating Cuban food!

So, Anastasija applied to Miami University.

“I wrote the essay. I did the research. That’s the funny part,” she said. “I did the research and I was like, ‘OK, this is a really good school.’ I still thought it was in Florida. It’s embarrassing.”

Appreciating all the academic and extra-curricular options and intrigued with the Sue J. Henry Center for Pre-Law Education, she applied and was accepted.

Now she had to make the choice between all the elite American universities that accepted her. And there were many. Her family wondered if she would be living around Boston. Chicago? Or maybe Miami, as in Florida?

Anastasija relied on her strengths to make her final decision, more research and a little intuition.

“I started communicating with the schools,” Anastasija said. “I was communicating with all the people I could, like the deans of students. I wrote a lot of emails. I watched virtual tours and I listened to what the students were saying."

She soon realized, through her Miami University correspondence, that Oxford was not a primo spot to catch a wave. She had wiped out with her geographical slip. Still, college conversations at home seemed to return to a possible life in Ohio.

“I was talking to my mom one day and she said, ‘You should go [to Miami]; I have a good feeling about this place,’” Anastasija said.

Crunching the numbers

Marija Kalinski was 17 years old when she gave birth to her oldest child. Before Marija turned 30, she was a single mother to daughter Anastasija and her newborn son, Marko.

If there was any chance for her daughter to have a better life, Marija needed to make more money to invest in her children’s education. One of Europe’s poorest countries, North Macedonia has an average annual income just above $6,000.

Marija moved to Iraq. There she could work on a U.S. military base in its kitchen and eventually its offices. There she could work in a war zone and earn hazard duty pay.

While her mother worked, Anastasija became her little brother’s primary caregiver. She also continued to excel in school and to find time to volunteer with the National Red Cross and nonprofits focused on domestic violence and gender issues.

When Anastasija weighed her options, scholarship money became an important factor in her decision, especially since international students can’t receive U.S. federal loans, and she couldn’t afford to come to the United States without scholarship support. Fortunately, all the universities were competitive with their scholarship offers. Some said they would give her more once she arrived.

Her discernment process was stalling.

Appreciating the personal welcome

Then her intuition started talking to her about Miami's acceptance letter and how it arrived on her birthday, saying, “Happy Birthday. You got into college.”

The personal touches and genuine care meant the world to a perspective student 5,000 miles away. She chose Miami University.

“I want to give my mother the opportunity to see me graduate. I just want to make her proud — let her know our hard work always pays off.”

Making the most of Miami

Now a sophomore, the political science and finance major ended her first year here as an honors student with a 4.0 GPA, all while handling four jobs and three internships and leading three campus organizations.

Still, advocating for more financial support is never deleted from her to-do list. Anastasija’s perseverance continues to pay off.

Beth Johnson, director of student financial assistance, awarded her a Presidential out-of-state fee waiver after she recognized that Anastasija wasn’t going to be able to continue even with her current financial support. She also recognized that Anastasija “needs to stay here; she’s going to do amazing things when she leaves.”

Like writing another book. Becoming an international lawyer. Advocating for the disenfranchised around the world.

“My heart smiled,” Anastasija said. “[Beth] said to me, ‘Anastasija, I’m so sure that I’m giving this to the right person because I can see how hard you are working.’ That was the moment I knew I made the right choice. These people really care about me. I don’t have to worry everyday about my financial situation. Yeah, I’m very happy to be at Miami.

“There’s no ocean; there’s no beach. But here I’m immersing myself in the campus environment and the people. I met such a caring community here that I wouldn’t trade it for five oceans. It’s my home.”