Meet UMD’s two new International Policy and Diplomacy Fellows Angelina Maleska and Michael Turk who started at the UMD office in Washington, D.C. today! They will be joined next Monday by three more students, which will be interning with UMD through mid-May.
Angelina Maleska is an undergraduate student at Georgetown University pursuing a double major in International Relations and Economics. Born and raised in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, Angelina grew up influenced by her Macedonian and Polish heritage.
As a Hoya at Georgetown, Angelina is highly involved in on-campus community service clubs, where she enjoys dedicating her time to positively benefitting the Georgetown community. She is also a member of the Georgetown Program Board, which works to plan numerous low-cost and student-inclusive events around campus. Angelina also works with the Georgetown University Police Department as a Student Guard in residence halls.
As a proud Macedonian, Angelina has danced in the Goce Delcev Macedonian Folk Lore Ensemble for over thirteen years and was part of the first dance group to perform in Congress and at the Macedonian Embassy in 2016, thanks to the generosity and help of the UMD.
Thanks to her parents, Angelina discovered her love of languages and is currently proficient in Macedonian, Polish, and Spanish. She hopes to explore and learn more during her time at Georgetown.
After graduating college, she hopes to further her education and pursue a degree in law.
As an intern at the UMD, Angelina hopes to explore the world of diplomacy and work to promote the advancement of Macedonia in public affairs and support the global Macedonian diaspora.
Michael Turk is an undergraduate student at Georgetown University intending to double major in International Relations and History. He was born in Washington, D.C., but has spent the majority of his life in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he attended a Jesuit high school and developed a passion for international relations.
At Georgetown, Michael is involved with a number of on-campus clubs and organizations relating to his interests. He is a member of the International Relations Club, which has granted him opportunities to reach out to international figures and schedule speaker events both on-campus and around D.C. He is also an active member of the Georgetown College Democrats’ advocacy department, through which he has been able to promote progressive issues both at Georgetown and on Capitol Hill. In addition, Michael belongs to the Georgetown Eating Society, an organization that seeks to educate students about various cultures and traditions through food.
Though Michael is not Macedonian, he learned about the UMD through his Macedonian friend, Angelina, and was fascinated by the organization’s mission and the opportunities that it offers. He looks forward to learning more about Macedonia’s rich cultural history, as well as its current state of affairs.