You only need a couple of minutes conversing with Kaja to realize that she’s one of those friendly people who can turn any place into something that feels like home, the very presence of her company makes you feel welcomed and at ease.

Born and raised in Skopje, Kaja knew from an early age that she wanted to become a doctor. She laughs at how her parents tried to steer her away from it, gently nudging her toward anything except a career in medicine, but her mind remained unchanged. Recently after she visited a hospital in Skopje that made her even more certain that her future career will be in the field of medicine.

She remembers the moment that changed everything: “When my mom fell ill, there was a nurse who sat down and talked to us. She didn’t just list the necessary treatments; she explained everything to us, she comforted us and stayed with us for three hours. That’s who I want to be — not just someone who treats an illness but someone who makes it feel bearable. Someone who brings comfort and humanity.”

In just a few weeks, Kaja will be on her way to UWC Mahindra in India, a journey her parents were nervous about at first. “But I convinced them” she says with a soft laugh that reveals a quiet determination.
At Mahindra, Kaja will study Biology and Chemistry at a higher level, already laying down the bricks of her dream to work in the oncology department one day. She knows it won’t be easy. Everyone tells her that. But if you spend even five minutes talking to Kaja, you'll understand she’s never been the kind of person to shy away from difficult things, especially when they involve caring for people.

Kaja’s life is stitched together with the little communities she’s built and loved. Her debate club has been one of her proudest journeys. With two friends and a beloved mentor, Kaja made it to 8th place at the World Debate Championship. “Debate made me the person I am today,” she says. “I met so many people, I learned how to speak up and most importantly how to listen.”

She also volunteers with the Red Cross — She'd say: “It feels more like hanging out with friends than working” She finds comfort and recreates on forest trails hiking with her lion-hearted dog Kan, who sleeps beside her every night in the past nine years. “That’s what I’ll miss most about Skopje — not so much the city, but my dog. He’s my home.”

It’s no surprise that she’s already visualizing the look of her dorm wall at Mahindra — a display of photos from her family, friends, her dog, her favorite memories frozen in time giving her comfort and support. A tiny keychain made by a friend will come too — her little talisman of luck, carried everywhere she goes.
Near the end of our meeting I asked Kaja where she sees herself in ten years, presumably her answer felt like something she was already actively striving towards every day. Of course it’s medical school first, then afterward maybe oncology, maybe research in pharmacogenomics — a field she talks about with an energy that makes you believe she’ll find a way to bring it closer to people’s lives. “Cancer is not just an individual disease,” she says. “It affects the whole family. I want to help them all — the patient and everyone concerned around them.”

Kaja’s idea of home has never really been tied to one address. It’s something carried in the heart and which she builds and upgrades in every group she joins, with every friend she makes, every small moment of care and compassion she gives and receives, every place she visits. And wherever the road takes her next, she’ll bring that same sense of belonging with her humanity and positivity — and always give the best to the people lucky enough to cross her path and be part of her world. 
 

Nela Chestojanova, august 2025