At the end of her freshman year, Teodora Hristovska, Class of 2021, received a letter from the Registrar’s office indicating that she was to be put on academic probation for her low grade point average. She had dropped out of Foundations of Science, changed her academic plan and lost an election for Class Representative. Three years later, Hristovska is set to graduate after leading the student body through a tumultuous year of Covid-19 crises as President of Student Government.

Hristovska’s journey with NYU Abu Dhabi began in 2016, when she stumbled across the community she would eventually embrace. After graduating high school, Hristovska began studying biochemistry at a university in her home country of Macedonia. A year and a half in, she visited Tami Gjorgjieva, Class of 2019, and her best friend of 10 years, at NYUAD. “We started college at the same time. But she started here, I started at home. And ever since we've been friends, I've looked up to her,” explained Hristovska. With only the intention of visiting Abu Dhabi to see her friend’s college life, Hristovska was surprised when she found herself envisioning a life here. She applied soon after and restarted university at NYUAD the following fall.

Although struggling academically during her first semester, Hristovska felt lucky to connect with a supportive group of friends early on. By the time the spring semester rolled around, she was more and more impressed and inspired by her peers. “I remember very vividly going on the Highline and seeing people from our class, just bumping into them and talking and everyone being so approachable,” she explained, elaborating on the impetus to run for Sophomore Year Representative in Student Government. “I really admired our class … I would be proud to represent the class.”

And so, she ran. Despite doubts, she poured herself into campaigning. Hristovska recalled crying as she walked across campus towards the building where a crowd of her fellow classmates awaited speeches at a Candidate Forum. She ultimately lost the election, but the constant theme of Hristovska’s story at NYUAD is that her moments of failure were never the last chapter of the book.

“I was told by some people that it would be embarrassing to run again for Student Government once I’ve lost,” she added. “I decided to do it regardless … I thought that was my place to contribute to the community.”

“That feeling of not belonging in academia made me want to continue in Student Government,” Hristovska elaborated, explaining how, because she felt out of place in academic circles, she saw the potential to use the Student Government platform to help students who struggled in similar ways. She became Junior Year Representative during her junior fall semester and served as Senator in New York the following spring. Meme-filled newsletters and Fries-days — Hristovska spending each Friday in the Marketplace so her peers can visit, chat and share some French fries with her — became Hristovska’s trademarks and her approachable strategies to reach out to as many students as possible.

While not the most assertive public speaker or brazen presence, it is an underlying sense of compassion and a genuine focus on listening to others that defines Hristovska’s leadership style. These characteristics of hers also propelled her to lead Student Government in her final year as President.

It was not an easy year — with first year students scattered around the world, changes to stipend disbursement, cancelled study aways, online classes and Capstone projects — Student Government faced an onslaught of disappointing circumstances and uncontrollable constraints within which they attempted to advocate for students. “The best thing you can have during times like this is just a strong team,” Hristovska explained, crediting the larger Council. “I don't think this is something that could have been done by one or two people. Everyone was working so much.”

Nonetheless, there were moments where she felt close to giving up. “I think the biggest moment was in November and December. Everything started falling apart,” she explained, highlighting the stressful moments leading to the nadir during winter break. Student Government members were advocating for improved housing arrangements amid a challenging logistical endeavor on the university’s side to welcome all students back to campus. “[This moment] shaped the entire student body, but it also shaped Student Government internally.”

After guiding Student Government through a challenging year, Hristovska has solidified herself as a student leader and active community member. But after the disheartening outcomes of her first year, how did Hristovska arrive at this moment? How did she pick herself up and continue working as hard as possible? “My confidence was always coming from my GPA and my perception of how much I know. And the entire freshman year destroyed all of that,” Hristovska explained. In the end, accepting that FOS and a Biology major was not for her led Hristovska to her current major — Psychology — where she has really found her stride.

Throughout her time, Hristovska managed to redefine even more broadly where she derives her confidence from: “I still feel like there is some part of my confidence affected by my academic experience. But I have just accepted that it's not the entirety of it… I'm a friend, a sister. I'm not just a student or a President.”

Through the ups and downs of university life, Hristovska shared one final message to first year students struggling to find their place within the community. “We always say, don’t let your failures define you. But I disagree with that,” Hristovska asserted. “I think we should let our failures define us as much as our successes because that’s where the growth and learning happens.”