Alumnus Spotlight: Aleksandar Turkovic
customImage
Aleksander Turkovic and his wife visiting MSA in 2024.
Alumnus Interview: Aleksandar Turkovic
After graduating from Miller School of Albemarle in 2010, where he spent his senior year, Aleksandar attended Hampden-Sydney College. He graduated in 2014 with a double major in Economics and Business, and Psychology. Similar to his time at Miller, Aleksandar was involved in multiple sports and clubs/activities such as intramural sports, the business and ethics program, Tigerfund, and more.
After graduation, he moved back to Serbia and started working for an American company as a sales executive. He continued his sales career and now works as the international director for an Italian startup. He also got married in 2022 to his longtime girlfriend. This was one of the reasons he chose to move back to Serbia. Currently, Aleksandar lives in Belgrade, Serbia.
How did you find out about Miller School?
I found out about Miller through Mladen Cvijanovic, who I believe spent two years at Miller. My dad and his dad were colleagues. After I expressed my wish to study in the US, going to a public school was not the best option, so we heard about Miller School through Mladen and his great experience there.
What sports did you play?
I played basketball and tennis in the spring season. I remember the basketball team losing in the semi-finals of the conference, while the girls' team won the conference.
Who were your most influential teachers and coaches at MSA?
I loved all of the teachers and had unique relationships with each of them, but if I have to name a few:
Mr. Spivey (Economics): He was one of the main influences on why I later studied Economics and Business. I still remember his stories about his life on a yacht, where his daughter was born, and him selling paintings.
Mr. Ross (English): He made me fall in love with reading and writing. I still remember "The Kite Runner" and all of his help with my Chapel talk.
Mr. Hale (History): He taught me about American history for the first time and made after-school activities fun with trips to the movies and even Walmart, which was a new experience for me.
The entire staff at the time helped build a strong foundation for who I am today. The dress code we had to follow always comes to mind when I attend international conferences in business attire. All of this was thanks to the staff who shaped my character during my short time at Miller. Special thanks to Mr. France, Mr. Bradley, Mrs. Cason, Mrs. Nelson, Mr. and Mrs. Landseadel (because of whom I later became an RA for three years in college), Mr. Pallante, Mr. and Mrs. Braxton and their lovely daughters, Mr. Hufnagel with his cycling crew for always being in great shape, and, of course, Dr. Meagher, for guiding me to college in America.
What life lessons did you learn as a boarding student that have helped you in life/career?
The experience at Miller was invaluable. It made me independent and responsible and helped expand my views. When managing people and hiring experts, I always ask if they have experience living, working, or studying abroad because it truly shapes an individual. At Miller, I learned not only about the USA but also about different cultures from friends like Ali (Turkey), Alina (Ukraine), Brice and Hip (Cameroon), Lewis (China), and Kim (Korea). It was a unique experience, and even my wife said she would have loved to study at Miller.
