By Connor Fairfield, CSEEES Autumn 2022 Intern

The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) recently announced the creation of the Acevska Congressional Internship Program (ACIP). The program is named after Honorary UMD Advisory Council Member and Macedonia’s first Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Ljubica Z. Acevska. Not only has Ljubica played a vital role in American-Macedonian relations, but she is also an alumna of The Ohio State University. In 1996 she received the OSU Alumni Medalist Award for “international distinction in service to humanity”. Read more about her life, education, and career below. 

Personal/Early Life:  

Ljubica Acevska was born in the year 1957 in Capari, Macedonia. Although she was born and raised in Macedonia, her family had already established a long lineage within the United States as both her great-grandfather and grandfather had made the family name in Mansfield, Ohio. In 1966, Ljubica with her brother and parents emigrated to Mansfield, where her father would continue to work at a restaurant that was owned by her grandfather. At school she was taught how to read, write and speak English while at home she stayed true to her heritage as she spoke Macedonian and enjoyed Macedonian customs, including cuisine. 

Academic/Professional Career: 

Ljubica would go on to attend The Ohio State University where she earned a degree in political science. After undergrad, she became a graduate school instructor and then a consultant in the Middle East-focused international trade and economic development firm Gulf Enterprises. Despite having a successful job as a consultant, Ljubica’s ambitions grew beyond her current job and pointed towards her home country of Macedonia. In the year 1999, Macedonia became an independent country after the break up of Yugoslavia. On her return visits home, Ljubica would constantly ask that her government send a representative to Washington. As a result, President Kiro Gligorov asked her to take on the role of temporary representative for Macedonia in Washington D.C. Relations between the United States and Macedonia seemed to strengthen under the care of Ljubica Acevska, and her two-month temporary role turned into something more permanent. This especially became apparent when the United States decided to station troops in Macedonia, showing trust and support for the relationship that Ljubica had fostered. In 1994, as relations between Macedonia and the United States were being formalized, the need arose for an officially designated ambassador to the United States. In order to qualify for that position, Ljubica had to relinquish her U.S. citizenship. Once all the legal paperwork was figured out, Ljubica Acevska was appointed as the first ambassador of Macedonia to the United States in November of 1995. She would hold this position until the year 2002. She subsequently became a public policy scholar at the Wilson Center and and also became involved in various humanitarian projects within the country of Haiti. 

Honors: 

Ljubica Acevska received the Alumni Award from her alma mater The Ohio State University in 1996 for “international distinction in service to humanity”. In the year 2000, she was also named Ambassador of the Year by the Women's Ambassador Program for her work with Howard University international relations students.  

Present Day: 

Although Ljubica is retired from her duties as an ambassador, her drive to foster meaningful international relations between Macedonia and the United States remains as strong as ever. As a result, she has decided to pass it on to the next generation to continue her work by creating the Acevska Congressional Internship Program (ACIP). Partnering with the United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD), the Acevska Congressional Internship Program will run annually with the goal of attracting Macedonian American students and recent graduates to offer them an opportunity to learn about the legislative process by interning in Washington D.C. with a member of Congress. ACIP will create a more civically engaged community by providing a rewarding experience that helps participants learn about the importance of being active in the American civic process. ACIP participants will receive a stipend during their internship and will benefit from mentorship opportunities and leadership training programs run by UMD. If you find yourself interested in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, please refer to the application guidelines that can be found here!