Hometown: Shtip, North Macedonia

Why did you choose McCourt? I chose Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, as I believe it to be a diverse community of changemakers, who share values and are committed to developing policy solutions to problems faced across the globe. I look forward to seeing myself and my peers leverage our knowledge and skills to transform societies, build bridges, and contribute to the creation of a more equitable and just world. Additionally, I chose McCourt to experience not only Georgetown as my campus, but all of Washington, DC.

What professional/ work experience did you have prior to coming to McCourt? My professional experience so far has been focused on youth policy and advocacy in youth networks, non-profit and international organizations. In my prior role as Program Manager in the National Youth Council of North Macedonia, I spearheaded advocacy campaigns aimed at improving the overall well-being and access to rights for young people in North Macedonia, their access to policy- and decision-making processes, and ensuring their voices resonate in politics. My most notable experiences are in advocacy for access and participation of Western Balkans youth in European policy, as a delegate to the European Youth Forum, as well as in regional youth policy work, where I enhanced regional cooperation among the Western Balkan 6 youth stakeholders, through the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Connecting Youth platform.

What has been the best part of your experience so far? My new chapter at McCourt already feels exceptionally rewarding! I'm not only building upon my prior public policy experience and expanding my analytical skills, but I'm also deepening my understanding of critical policy issues, while forging connections with the diverse faculty and peers. The diverse specter of McCourt student organizations are an added value to the experience.

What internships have you had so far during your time at McCourt? As a recipient of the McCourt School Pennywise Foundation Fellowship, I have undertaken a role as Research Assistant at the Pennywise Foundation. I am beyond excited to spend this academic year in supporting organizations across the globe that implement sustainable solutions and strategies for addressing global issues.

Student organization involvement while at McCourt: Since the beginning of the academic year, I have been appointed as an At-Large Member at the McCourt Student Association's New Student Committee, an Associate at the European Policy Organization, and a Junior Editor at the Georgetown Public Policy Review.

Undergraduate University, degree, and major: Goce Delchev University of Shtip, Bachelor of Laws

Hobbies/ Interests: Aside from policy work, in my free time I get the most excited about travel and hiking. I always appreciate grabbing a good oat latte with friends. In terms of policy areas, I am interested about foreign policy, EU policy (with focus on EU enlargement), youth policy, good governance, democracy, peace and security policy, political strategy and negotiation.

Reach out to me about: Moving to DC; Non-quant background; Non-profit background; Similar policy interests.