WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 10, 2009 – The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) is pleased to announce that Mr. Michael Culkoff, Ms. Ana Gicova, and Ms. Diana Popstefanova are the recipients of UMD’s 1st Macedonian Heritage Scholarship. 

The UMD Macedonian Heritage Scholarship Program was established to assist Macedonians pursuing undergraduate degrees in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United States.  The purpose of the UMD Macedonian Heritage Scholarship Program is to advance the education of Macedonians who are guided by the values of their Macedonian upbringing and heritage. 

Recipients for the UMD Macedonian Heritage Scholarships are selected on the basis of academic achievement, commitment to civic leadership, and involvement in their Macedonian community.  Recipients had to submit an essay on the importance and role of their Macedonian heritage.  Full essays will be published in the Fall Edition of UMD Voice magazine.

2009 UMD Macedonian Heritage Scholarship Program Recipients:

Michael Culkoff

Mr. Culkoff is a first generation Macedonia-Australian from Sydney, Australia.  He is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Arts Communication – Social Inquiry with an interest in Public Relations at the University of Technology in Sydney.  Michael is the Centre Manager for the HK Ward Gymnasium at Sydney University Sport and Fitness and an avid cricket player.   

Ana Gicova

Ms. Gicova was born and raised in Kocani, Macedonia and came to the United States in September 2006.  She is a senior at Ohio University pursuing an undergraduate degree in Business Administration.  Ana is a recipient of the Risto Gusterov Manasseh Cutler Scholarship, which is granted to one student from Macedonia every three years.  She has volunteered for UNICEF and the International Red Cross in Macedonia, and has interned for the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce in Naples, Florida.  Ana has received numerous awards for her fluency in Spanish, and is a member of the National Honors Society, International Business Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma, and the National Youth Association of Macedonia.

Diana Popstefanova

Ms. Popstefanova is a first generation Macedonian-American from Garfield, New Jersey.  She is pursuing an undergraduate degree in International Affairs at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.  Diana was the Founder of the Eastern European Club, and was President of the Spanish Club at the Academy of the Holy Angels in Demarest, New Jersey.  During high school, she received the President’s Awards for Educational Excellence and the Bronze Medal in the National Spanish Exam. 

To learn more about the UMD Macedonian Heritage Scholarship Program, or donate in support of the program, please contact Boban Jovanovski at (202) 756-2244 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) is the leading international non-governmental organization addressing the interests and needs of Macedonians and Macedonian communities throughout the world.  Headquartered in Washington, D.C., UMD has an office in Melbourne, Australia and Toronto, Canada and representatives in Paris, London, Brussels, Vienna, Kiev, St. Petersburg, and Stuttgart.