Admir Djesevic: The Next Great Photojournalist
By Molly Prior
Coming from a new place and starting over is never easy, but making the best of it is and using it to your advantage and long term goals is what counts. Like many of the other students at Manhattan College, Admir Djesevic came to the school to be able to pursue his career passions while enjoying the benefits of New York City. But he has not had an ordinary journey, as his life has taken him from Montenegro, to the Bronx, to Syracuse and now back to the Bronx again. A passionate and humble student who has hopes and dreams of becoming a photojournalist, Djesvic has had an impactful journey that has shaped him to be who he is today and how he continues to grow.
Djesevic was born in Plav, Montenegro, a small country that resides in the Balkans region of Eastern Europe. However, he moved with his family to the Bronx, specifically Yonkers, in 2005. His father finished his college degree over in Montenegro, but was not able to completely transfer it over, so now he is a superintendent for three school buildings in the Bronx. Djesvic describes his family as “very kind, but tough when it comes to education and wanting what’s best.” He felt that the Bronx was a good place to move, as it was easier to get used to the culture while still keeping his own, due to the amount of international communities here.
“I think that it was somewhat easier for me to move here when I was a little kid than if I was older,” he said. “As a kid, learning a new language and being able to fit in is just a lot easier, because you absorb things so much quicker. Plus with all of the communities around me here in the Bronx, I was able to meet a whole melting pot of people who were in the same boat as us or wanted to help.”
From the age of five, Djesevic has possessed a love for sports. He played soccer all throughout his childhood, and was a practice player at his other college, Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York. He also played varsity baseball in high school. He currently carries out his love for sports by volunteering at the local YMCA as a soccer coach.
By the end of his sophomore year, Dejesvic knew in his heart that he wanted to transfer schools. He previously attended Le Moyne College, a small liberal arts college located upstate in Syracuse. The college, like Manhattan, is a Roman Catholic college that enrolls about 3,500 undergraduate students. However, he felt as though he wanted to be closer to his roots in the city and to his family.
“I chose Manhattan College because of the great financial aid package that I got,” Djesevic said. “I originally heard about the school through my friends and cousins, as a lot of Albanians and Montenegrins go there and they all had really good things to say about it. It was also one of the first colleges that I got accepted to, so that really gave me a good feeling about it.”
Though some may find the process of transferring overwhelming and difficult, Djesevic said that Manhattan made the process as simple as possible.
“I was able to transfer in pretty quickly and smoothly,” he said. “I was originally hoping to play on the soccer team, but I decided to commit my time to coaching instead.”
Academic wise, Djesevic is a senior here at Manhattan. He is a communication major with a concentration in journalism and a minor in psychology here at Manhattan. His favorite professors are Micheal Plugh in the communication department, along with Arno Kolz in the psychology department and Dr. Ladda in the personal wellness department. He has enthusiastic things to say about his chosen field of studies, and enjoys how diverse the major is in getting him where he wants to go with his career choices.
“I enjoy being a communication major because of how expansive it is in the workplace,” Djesvic said. “Since I really love photography and photojournalism, with a communication major I can combine that and have the ability to tell more stories to the world.”
(Admir Djesevic pursuing photography photo credit: Admir Dejesvic)
Along with photojournalism in his career goals, Djesevic wants to be able to help others and make a difference with his career. He wants to work for a company or organization that helps to enlighten kids. He considers his role model and life inspiration to be Malcom X because of his dedication to civil rights and making a difference. He also speaks highly of his high school advisor, who helped encourage him when applying to colleges, as well as helping him organize fundraising projects in high school for community service.
“I received a lot of help in high school from both my teachers and my advisor,” said Djesvic. “I want to be able to reciprocate that help to others.”
If Djesevic could travel anywhere in the world, he would go to Australia and Japan to see the other side of the world and experience different cultures. He also hopes to return to Montenegro one day, as he has not been back there since he left when he was a child. He feels that traveling is a vital and important part of photojournalism.
Djesevic is determined, open to change and excited for the prospects of the future. He can also see himself possibly going to graduate school in the future after his senior year. Although being a senior in college can be a nerve wracking time, change is nothing new to his life. From the beautiful landscapes of Montenegro and now coming full circle at the end of his education here in New York City at Manhattan College, you can bet that one day you will pick up a magazine like Time and see Admir Dejesvic’s great photography skills.
