Anastasija Mladenovska ‘26 is an accounting major with a global focus. Born in Macedonia, she grew up with a mom who told stories about working in finance and accounting areas of the hospitality and tourism industries. “I loved hearing those stories, but then I thought I’d like to go into a different direction.”
Mladenovska entered Miami as a Political Science major and soon added Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies as a second major. “I thought it would be really interesting to pair that up with political science. Sounds like something that I might really excel at. At that point I had two majors—it was rough, but I never gave up on political science because I knew that that’s something that I’m very good at and interesting.”
She had dreams of going to law school, and was looking for something that would make her stand out. Her friends, who were students at the Farmer School of Business, shared stories about the opportunities and experiences that they have had. She started taking business classes, gaining enough credits and discovering that accounting was a really interesting field that paired so well with her other majors. She had a revelation: “I realized actually what I want to do after graduation is go into law school and do international business law.” She is currently preparing to take the LSAT in August.
Mladenovska’s drive and passion for scholarship led her to become an EY Scholar for the 2024–2025 academic year. Working with Dr. Tim Eaton, she worked on several research projects. One led to a publication titled, “It’s a Great Time To Be an Accountant! The Resiliency of the Accounting Careers” at New Accountant magazine. She is also working on a study of post-pandemic academic dishonesty through interviews and surveys.
In addition, she worked as an undergraduate researcher for the U.S. Department of State Office of Global Partnerships, securing a grant to conduct ethnographic research in Serbia and Montenegro. Through this study, she gained “a deep understanding of the socio-cultural dynamics within emerging Russian immigrant communities,” and was able to present her insights to policymakers, academics, and stakeholders, including at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade. She is also an international diplomacy and global politics fellow of the United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD). As fellow, she helped organize the UMD International Women’s Day Conference and spoke at the event about her experiences as an international student in the U.S. and as a young Macedonian woman who has rediscovered and reconnected with her heritage through her stay here.
Despite her busy academic schedule, Mladenovska has found time to participate in campus life. She is a resident assistant at Peabody Hall and is serving as Treasurer of the Humanities Student Collective at Miami University, of which she is also a co-founder. The organization aims to enhance collaboration, professional development, and academic engagement among humanities students.
With all her accomplishments, it’s no wonder that Mladenovska has received the Provost’s Student Academic Achievement Award for 2025, recognizing her “rare combination of intellectual curiosity, scholarly rigor, and ethical leadership.”
Getting to know Anastasija Mladenovska:
- Fluent in 5 languages: Macedonian, English, French, Russian, and Swahili
- A sports enthusiast: Member of the Miami University Rowing Club. “There’s something really grounding about early mornings on the water, and I’ve learned so much about discipline, teamwork, and mental endurance.”
- Summer internship: Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project
- Enjoying Oxford: The mesmerizing sunsets, nature, and the people. “The people make everything better.”
