Many people take years to figure out what they want to do. For Munster High School junior, Maya Radjenovich, most of her time is spent involved with literature and performing.
A lifetime resident of Munster, Radjenovich lives with her parents and her younger sister Ana, 10. She is in Advanced Placement Literature and AP Environmental Science. She also takes choir as an elective where she sings soprano, but says that AP Lit is her favorite.
“I love reading, I love writing, and that’s what we do there every day.”
She’s a huge fan of Munster High.
“I’ve had such a great experience there. The staff is very professional and so easy to talk to when you have a problem. There’s an open line of communication and the teachers always make themselves available. Overall, it’s a very positive environment.”
She’s also a student contributor for NWIndianaLife, and says that she jumped at the chance when she was first approached.
“I feel like it’s a really good opportunity.”
Radjenovich says that the love of writing is something that has been part of her life since she was a young girl.
“I remember being 7 or 8 years old and having a notepad that I would use to write my own little stories. Now, in literature, I have delved into writing poetry, fiction, all different types of writing, but my favorite is fiction.”
She hopes to write short stories, and maybe even a novel one day.
She’s also involved in theater, speech, and debate.
“I like to act. We did a version of Robin Hood this year, and I played the part of Maid Marion. It was fun!”
Radjenovich even took part in a musical production of Cinderella during her freshman year, where she got a chance to put her singing skills from choir to good use.
When she’s not in school, she enjoys just hanging out with friends.
“I know that’s such a generic answer, but it’s true! Also, speech tournaments take up a lot of my time on weekends, so I’m also doing that.”
She even knows her way around a golf course, and enjoys hitting the links with her father.
“My dad really enjoys golf, and I played in freshman and sophomore years, so we bond over that.”
Maya and her family frequently vacation in Arizona, but she recently made the trip to Canada with her mother and grandmother, and was excited to leave the country for the first time.
“We went to Niagara Falls,” said Radjenovich. “That was kind of ‘touristy,’ but it was just a lot of fun to actually be in another country, and their currency is so much prettier than ours - it’s so colorful! You just get a different vibe when you visit other countries. The little differences that you notice are so interesting.”
Maya also says that few people know that she’s 100% Serbian and finds herself very involved in her heritage and culture.
“I even do traditional Serbian dancing,” says Maya. “Not a lot of people know that I dance, too.”
Dancing, golfing, writing, and singing - Maya Radjenovich has packed quite a bit into her 16 short years, and has big plans for her future.
“I want to go to college. I’m not sure which one yet, but I definitely want to go,” says Radjenovich.
Keep an eye out for her name - it just may show up on a novel or byline sometime soon!