The first thing I noticed when Daria joined our call was the ease she spoke with. Not only was she relaxed, but the way in which she formulated sentences was so natural, eloquent and full of purpose. 

While I was trying to think of contentful questions, Daria made my job easier by giving answers much richer in content than any question I could ask, with words that capture exactly what she wants to say and a flowing thought that not once stopped. 

Unsurprisingly, the first interest of hers she talked about was literature. “I adore poetry, books, readings, and I’ve been writing poetry myself for years”. If you’ve talked to Daria, this makes complete sense as every sentence of hers sounds poetic. 

Her education in Macedonia both started and finished in Yahya Kemal, where she especially loved the cultural diversity. “I think it’s one of the most diverse schools in Macedonia, despite UWC Adriatic being quite different, I think Yahya makes for a good foundation.” - she says. 

Her extracurricular activities in Yahya Kemal varied from drama club to debate club, which she founded and remained the leader of. Both perfectly exemplify the mix of art and ration that characterize Daria. 

“I love every type of art, whether it be literature, visual art, films, music - I simply enjoy it” - says Daria, after we discussed her interest in visiting museums when she is traveling. 

As a book recommendation, she went with “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath, which she bought for her 15th birthday and has read multiple times. “The way Plath subtly incorporates autobiographical elements and represents the female experience is special to me” - she states. 

Intrigued by this answer, I wondered which movie Daria would recommend. “White Oleander” was her pick and not only did she mention it, but also provided a description full of imagery and a mini-analysis through which I realized how much she enjoys finding meaning in art. “Every family [the character] changes is a different story about her growth and adaptation to the circumstances” - Darial tells me before she jumps into analyzing the aforementioned changes the character undergoes. 

One thing that all of her interests have in common is the element of self-discovery. Instead of describing the characters, she looks at their development through changes, reactions, ways in which they are represented and her own interpretations. 

Daria’s self-discovery was evident during every part of the conversation. Practicing yoga which she recently took up, talking about her life path until now and how she expects it to change, the mini room tour she gave me, reading, movies…

She not only understands others very well, but also exceptionally knows herself, without letting herself be limited by that in the context of what she becomes in the future. I do not doubt that her introspection and love for self-discovery will follow her to Italy and I cannot wait to see how she will turn that into art in her unique way. 

Јuly 2023
Marija Janeva