#TheJourneyToMySuccess

Maria Gojkovic: "Success is when the things you have achieved make you proud and happy"

Gkoi-ko-vitch! That’s how my surname is pronounced. Many people, who see my name written in Latin characters, believe that I am somehow related to the famous tennis player. I wish I were!

As a student, I had many extracurricular activities. I also did various sports, such as tennis and swimming. I liked to be tested in different fields, to test my stamina, my limits. I still like to do that.

I think my DNA and how my life evolved are a bit "to blame". I was born in 1997 in Serbia, amid the Yugoslav wars. My parents then were 20 years old, young children, and they had to take care of a baby and protect it from the vortex of war. We lived in a village near the airport and I remember that every time a plane or a helicopter passed over us, we ran to hide for fear of being bombed.

We ended up in Cyprus shortly after the end of the war. My parents wanted us to go somewhere nice for a vacation to forget everything and acquire new and happy images. Cyprus was one of the most easily accessible countries for us then, while the security, weather, and living standards of the country were ideal for holidays. We came for three weeks and ended up living here for 20 years. I think that if I was their age with a small child and experienced everything they had experienced in Serbia, I would make the same choice. Cyprus seemed like paradise for our family and it turned out to be so.

I believe that success is not having a lot of money or fame, but being happy where you end up. Goals are important, but more important is what you do to achieve them. If your course makes you proud and happy, then I believe that you have succeeded

At first, it was strange. I did not know Greek at all, not even English. I came to Cyprus when I was three years old, I barely spoke Serbian. I remember having a hard time at school, I could not communicate with anyone and because of that, I was constantly in conflict with my classmates. Fortunately, I started learning Greek quickly and things started to get better. Today I speak five different languages, something I consider a huge qualification. Nevertheless, I consider Greek to be the most important language I have ever learned. By learning Greek, I managed to love the place. I managed to assimilate, to be a part of it, and to be treated as an equal. Maybe that's why I did not experience racism or alienation.

I believe that success is not having a lot of money or fame, but being happy where you end up. Goals are important, but more important is what you do to achieve them. If your course makes you proud and happy, then I believe that you have succeeded.

For several years I received negative comments about my appearance. That I was too thin or too tall. At first, it bothered me, but then I realized that I do not have the problem, but they do. If you are confident with yourself, you do not need these things and I was fine with myself from a very early age. I think this is also due to my DNA. Serbs are tougher emotionally; they are not easily bothered by insults and malice.

Regarding my personality, I do not like to externalize my emotions and so I functioned accordingly as a child, no matter what happened. I preferred to manage issues myself and not tell anyone about my problems. Instead, I preferred to be relieved of everything I felt through various extracurricular activities. Dance, sports, theatre, music, and much more. It cleared my mind and I gained strength. This whole process helped me develop and provided me with “weapons” to face each difficulty. Like the negative and harsh criticism, I received from some people when I started modeling.

Modeling came into my life by chance in 2015, when I was still a high school student. At first, it was not easy. Time passed and I had not booked any jobs. I had begun to have doubts about myself, that I was not good enough, or beautiful enough. Maybe it had to do with the fact that some people in the agency told me that I had to lose weight because I was not thin enough and that did not help my psychology.

As disappointed as I was, I never fell into the trap of becoming what they wanted me to be. Many people think that the fashion industry is easy. You pose, smile, and get paid. Having experienced various things, I can say with confidence that the reality is not like that at all. If you do not love modeling, you will have difficulties coping with it.

Working alone, I was forced to learn many things in a short space of time. I needed to know when and how to defend myself, claim things, and manage my image. I had, of course, my parents by my side, every step of the way.

All the choices I had in Cyprus went through my mind, but in the end, Frederick was the best choice. I wanted to be close to my parent’s home in Limassol and the lessons to be taught in English. Frederick offered me both

Studying for me was a one-way street. I had strategies and plans, I did not put all my eggs in one basket, because I happened to have a good external image. Quite often, I felt underestimated just because I'm beautiful. Unconsciously, maybe that was what made me stubborn and I studied so much that I was good in all the lessons at school and later at university.

This, however, made it difficult for me to choose the field I would follow when the time came to choose what I would study. I had originally decided to study mathematics at an English university. However, life is full of surprises, and so when I had to leave for my studies I could not as I was waiting to get Cypriot citizenship, and going away to study would further delay the process. I stayed in Cyprus having decided to take a gap year, to continue working and, as soon as the citizenship process would be completed, to leave.

Halfway through the journey, I felt like I was drowning, that I was not doing anything useful or creative. I started researching universities in Cyprus, having in mind the fields of mathematics and economics.

All the choices I had in Cyprus went through my mind, but in the end, Frederick was the best choice. I wanted to be close to my parent’s home in Limassol and the lessons to be taught in English. Frederick offered me both.

At the same time, however, it offered me a perspective that until that moment I had not considered, Business Administration. A study that would essentially enable me to make many career choices in the future.

While studying it, I discovered that this specific field, especially the way it was being offered at Frederick, would open many doors for me to complete my studies. It was the foundation I needed on which to build my professional future.

The opportunity to work as a tutor was one of the most crucial decisions as it gave me an idea of how much I had learned throughout my earlier time at the university

In the beginning, it was a little awkward, because I felt that nothing in my life had changed since I went to school. After the first few months, however, my whole way of thinking changed. Initially, my instructors opened new horizons for me, as well as socializing with my classmates.

In the meantime, I started working at the university, gaining very different experiences that I could not imagine. At first, I took up a position in the Admissions Office and Administration and then in tutoring with new students.

The opportunity to work as a tutor was one of the most crucial decisions as it gave me an idea of how much I had learned throughout my earlier time at university.

When you begin explaining to others what you have experienced and learned, you realize the level you have reached and your development. At the same time, I developed my communication skills tremendously, because I had to transfer knowledge and experiences to others in an easily comprehensible way.

The funny thing is that by the time I arrived at Frederick, I thought I was disciplined and focused on my goals. My years of study, however, proved to me that what I was before had nothing to do with what I had to become if I wanted to achieve my goals.

A piece of advice given to me by some of my instructors at university was to broaden my horizons and look beyond the obvious. To not just dwell on what I learn at university, but to look for new things and solutions to my problems

If you were to ask me to tell you two skills I developed as a result of my studies at Frederick, I would definitely tell you about my ability to manage my time very well and evaluate my priorities properly.
It was not easy. There were many nights when I would sleep at three in the morning because I was studying for an exam, I would wake up at six for a photo shoot, and at three in the afternoon, I would sit for the exam. Because of my job, I happened to miss a deadline and then have to make up for it myself, and vice versa, I happened to miss a job because I had an exam. I did not regret it for a moment because I always liked to test and push myself.

This was also a piece of advice given to me by some of my instructors at university. To broaden my horizons and look beyond the obvious. To not just dwell on what I learn at university, but to look for new things and solutions to my problems.

I continued with modeling and at the same time, I entered the final phase for completing my studies at Frederick. Before the pandemic, I was thinking about a master's degree abroad, but once again, life turned my plans upside down. At the moment, I do not know what I’m going to do, but I have time to think about it.