MilicaJovanović.

My photo was featured in the BCHR 2025 Youth Human Rights Report. You can parse through the document in full by clicking on the Drive icon down below.

Handled event photography at Kuća Umetnica using a Nikon D3300. Since I had never done a full event shoot before, I spent the previous day at the Psychosocial Innovation Network office crash-course studying the entire user manual and testing the camera. (And yes, if you don't believe me, I still have the downloaded PDF! Click the icon for receipts :)).

You know that meme where long-time anime fans get compared to people who jumped on the trend later? Trust me, being a die-hard fan wasn't something to be proud of back then. I loved it long before it became cool, and the same thing happened with liminal spaces. The term was popularized by Kane Pixels, a guy in his early twenties, but the concept existed long before him. If you want to see how people wrote about it earlier, I recommend Marc Augé's Non-Places: An Introduction to Supermodernity. As a treat, I put the whole book in the drive folder for you. :)

Since I chose the social media handle "ministry of yapping," you can probably guess what I did. I was yapping about liminal spaces. During my interview, we talked about what currently fascinates me in popular culture. I talked about liminal spaces and Kane Pixels, who made the term popular on social media. And you won't believe it, but I knew it would go viral before the Backrooms movie came out!

Awarded for achieving top grades across all subjects throughout high school. To each and every one of my professors: thank you for recognizing the value in the children we were, and for being far more than just role models.

I attended this course when I was 17, and it changed how I think about speaking to people. We worked on structuring a talk, hooking an audience from the first sentence, writing short lines that stick, and grounding every point in something real. A big part of the course was learning to tell a persuasive story, and we used the elements of the Hero's Journey to shape those stories.

The course was led by Leopold Ajami, a licensed trainer under Dr. Robert Cialdini and the founder of the Cialdini Institute. He is known for his work on ethical persuasion and thought leadership, and he coaches CEOs and founders on communication. He is also the founder of Novel Philosophy Academy.

Spent four days collaborating with student parliament reps to build support systems for students with disabilities. There were people with disabilities present, as well. I learned a whole lot from them. Reality check: the exam prep material I brought stayed firmly unopened. Needless to say, books were out of the game. Instead, I got a freezing-cold terrace meditation session that made the whole experience unforgettable. Was cold, but it was worth it.

I still remember Međuvršje and Ovčar Banja as some of the most beautiful places in Serbia. Nothing I've come across since has quite matched them.

In the three days I spent there, I saw a fox (carrying bacon in its mouth, no less) and picked up a tiny icon of St. Nicholas. It's not my slava nor a feast day, but the back has a prayer for all travelers and drivers, which was exactly what I needed at the time, i.e. a breakup with my ex.

I also remember an exercise where our group acted out political regimes in everyday situations, and we drew conservatism. I suggested a scene on a bus with folk music playing. I had only just started listening to some Serbian folk songs back then, so I insisted we play Otišla si, e pa neka by Đani ("You Left, Well, So Be It"). Fitting for a breakup!

Coincidentally, I remember exactly what I was listening to during that period, so I made a short playlist. Enjoy! :)

A study visit to one of Serbia’s most recognized grassroots initiatives, Women’s Center Užice. We looked at how their eco-friendly textile recycling program empowers rural women and drives real local change. Hosted by program manager Marina Tucović, the visit mixed conversations on community leadership with a teambuilding trip through the cave of Potpeć (holds the record for the highest cave entrance in Serbia and the entire Balkans at 50 meters tall).

Teams had the chance to go through the whole process of building a business plan, from the first idea to a product or service that is ready for the market. Along the way, each team worked on its financial, marketing, and sales strategy, and got to meet local experts and people from companies and institutions who can offer real feedback.

I put the team together myself, and we took on the challenge of turning our idea into something we could actually launch. It has been a chance to learn how a business is built step by step, and to see how much a good plan depends on the people you talk to along the way.

What makes a society free? How did that idea take shape in the United States?

We examined property rights, free speech, trade, contract rights, and the ongoing debate over how much government should regulate.

Also, we had the opportunity to hear more about major ideas and events behind the U.S. system of government, from the Revolution and the Founding through the Civil War, the Progressive Era, the New Deal, and the rise of the welfare state.

At 16, I joined a program merging Objectivist philosophy with modern productivity tools—combining core ideas from James Clear, David Allen, Greg McKeown, and Dan Sullivan into a clear personal operating system.

1 of 33 selected out of 230+ applicants nationwide (Age 16).

Selected as one of 25 participants at age 17 for the John Galt School of Objectivism (Ayn Rand Center Europe). We merged philosophy with politics, culture, art, and economics. Coming out of it, I earned a full scholarship to the NICON conference in Prague.