Varsity tennis, varsity volleyball, president of National Honor Society, vice president of DECA/ FBLA, and Model UN member. Full IB student. Serbian folk dancer. Member of MOD/SWOD. Homecoming royalty. Socially active. Senior Ana Jankovic proves that one person really can do it all. And Ana does it all while showing overall support in many communities. Community has become a very important aspect for Ana, whether that be the Dakota Ridge community or her Serbian community which she participates in outside of school.
“To me, human connection is the point of life, and it makes me happy each day to converse with people and create a very strong community,” Ana said. ”I wake up in the morning and I am genuinely excited to go to school…(I) have built a personal community that I can really rely on, and through doing so, we can make the entire school a happy place.”
Ana started playing volleyball in 7th grade and over the years has played herself up the ranks to varsity — she competes with the rest of the women’s varsity team. However, Ana’s true calling is with tennis, where she has made varsity for the past two years as #2 singles. She’s been playing tennis since she was seven. More importantly, last year she was able to make it to state and has hopes to go again this year. As co-captain, she was able to create a unique bond and understanding with the rest of her teammates. The sport has been a great opportunity for Ana, and she is taking it all in as she gets ready to graduate in the spring.
“The tennis community is unlike any other sport I have experienced at Dakota,” Ana said. “ Tennis is different because we consider ourselves a team, even though tennis is an individual sport, because there are multiple players, and we are all playing for Dakota, and each of our matches count so that we can win as a school”
Although Ana is an accomplished athlete, she also shows true potential and growth when it comes to education. She’s a full IB diploma student, which is a rigorous, academically focused path. The importance of learning is one that Ana understands, as she doubles up on extra courses with two science classes, IB Chemistry and IB Biology. If everything goes as planned, Ana will graduate with an IB diploma.
“In the 2025 IB class there are only nine of us, and we are all very close and talk about everything with each other,” Ana said.
The criteria of the IB diploma includes all IB classes, which each focus on rigorous skills like critical thinking, research, communication, social skills and self management. Each IB candidate must take a class from every subject: studies in language and literature, language acquisition, individual societies, science and math. Along with the regular IB classes, IB students take a Theory of Knowledge class and develop creativity, activity, and service (CAS) projects. They also write an extended essay. Once this is completed, students must get a total of 24 points on their IB test at the end of year and gain a final grade for Theory of Knowledge class and extended essay to qualify for the IB diploma.
As president of the National Honor society, which focuses on community service, Ana works with the sponsor, DRHS teacher Tiffany Briggs, and the vice president, DRHS senior Josephine Tran, to help students practice in community service. Ana is also a member of DECA, FBLA and Model UN which are all debate and career-focused activities that allow Ana to hone her debate skills and prepare for life outside of high school.
“Ana is a well-spoken leader who has created an inviting environment where National Honor Society members are able to collaborate and develop new ways to contribute to our school and communities,” NHS member Mia Bowermen said.
Ana displays a refreshing spirit at school and demonstrates the importance of getting involved in the community. Having parents who immigrated from Serbia to America displays a diverse culture and community that contributes to Ana’s identity. She has been involved in the Serbian culture and community her entire life, speaking Serbian at her home and at her Serbian church. Ana takes part in the Serbian folklore dance group at her church to further embrace her heritage and culture.
For those who may not know, Serbia is a south eastern European country, a part of former Yugoslavia, that is near Romania and Bulgaria. It’s classically known for its expansive culture, including historical sites like Kalemegdan Fortress, the Studenica Monasteries, and many ruins from the Roman and Byzantine Empire. The capital city, Belgrade, has a vibrant nightlife, historic architecture, and holds cultural events and festivals. As well as having an extensive cultural heritage, Serbia has produced some notable athletes like Denver Nuggets player Nikola Jokic and world famous tennis player Novak Djokovic.
Ana, like many other students, does sometimes deal with burnout from being a multi-activity student athlete and admits it’s challenging.
“I am still pretty young, so I haven’t figured out how to avoid burnout yet,” Ana said. “ I think if I get some more sleep and manage my time better, I will get there soon. I think I have to be more consistent in my time management.”
Burnout is a struggle that many students grapple with, but with proper recovery and rest, it is avoidable. According to the National Library of Medicine more than half of students experienced academic burnout of some type or another. Addressing burnout is one of the first steps to the road to recovery, but taking steps to reduce the cause of burnout is where most of the recovery takes place.
Ana Jankovic is a prime example of how being involved in a community can affect one person, and how one person can make an impact on the community. Keep updated with Ana progress in tennis on MaxPreps for the 2024-35 spring tennis season.
