RECENT NFCACF FELLOWS

The NFCACF Fellows are an integral component to the success of our organization. Our fellows are actively involved in all areas of the organization and play a vital role in the day-to-day operations.

Named after late Minnesota Governor Rudolph George “Rudy” Perpich (1928-1995), this fellowship is geared toward recent graduates or early career professionals who have a passion for Croatian culture and affairs, and to contribute productively and innovatively in the Croatian community through advocacy, organization development, and research related to the fellow’s education and career goals.

 

Our paid interns have assisted with planning major events such as the annual meeting, assisting with the writing of white papers and news articles, updating our social media, creating a business directory, and creating a noteworthy Croatian American list. We ask interns to commit to working a minimum of 10 hours per week during their internship.  All internship positions are currently remote. Interns must be self-starters who are able to work both independently and as part of a team.  If interested in being the next NFCACF intern, please contact us.

Show more

2024

Milena Rylatt

Milena Rylatt is currently pursuing a Master of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, concentrating on International Political Economy. She also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Global Management from the University of Pittsburgh, where she graduated in April 2024.

Originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Milena is a proud second-generation Croatian American. Milena’s academic interests lie at the intersection of international trade and international business. She is especially drawn to projects related to developing markets, international business, and transatlantic relations.

Outside of her academic and professional interests, Milena has participated in Croatian folklore since childhood. She plays the prim and dances as a member of St. Lawrence CFU Lodge 13. As the 2025 Rudy Perpich Fellow, Milena has authored policy memos on energy infrastructure in the Balkans, trade relations, and assisted projects with NFCACF member groups.

Learn more about this fellow

Tatjana Mustac

2024

Karmen Pletikosic

Karmen is originally from Split, Croatia. She graduated from Miami University in 2025 with a double major in Diplomacy and Global Politics and Italian Studies. She is passionate about transatlantic relations, global security, and international cooperation.

During her time as the 2024 Rudy Perpich Fellow, Karmen served an instrumental role in facilitating NFCACF projects in Zagreb and on the Island of Krk. She also contributed to the Little Nook podcast with Croatians Online.

Learn more about this fellow

2023

Hana Kotzmuth

Hana Kotzmuth was born and raised in Zagreb, Croatia. She moved to the US to pursue her bachelor’s degree in psychology and management at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN. Hana’s commitment to learning and growth led her to serve as the 2023 Rudy Perpich Fellow.

In addition to her studies, Hana worked as a part-time administrative assistant at the Dean’s Office of the University’s School of Public Health, where she helped to organize events and support faculty and staff. She was also a volunteer with the International Student Ambassadors, sharing her experiences and helping other students adjust to life in a new country. Hana’s interests outside of coursework include films, which she believes are a powerful way to learn about other cultures. She enjoys attending film festivals or screenings and even making her own films, and is always looking for new and interesting movies to watch.

Upon completion of her bachelor’s degree in 2024, Hana hopes to continue her education by pursuing a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. She is fascinated by how psychology can be applied to improve workplace dynamics and productivity and is excited to contribute to the field through research and practice.

Learn more about this fellow

Tatjana Mustac

2022

Sarah Sebetich

Sarah is a proud, third-generation Croatian American who grew up singing, dancing, and playing the prim with the St. George Junior Tamburitzans group of Cokeburg, Pennsylvania, CFU Lodge 354. Growing up, she traveled the country, performing with the ensemble. She has also performed onstage at Lisinski Hall in Zagreb at 3 CFU Junior Festivals.

Sarah graduated from Bethany College in West Virginia in the spring of 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in history and a minor in religious studies.

Upon graduation, Sarah moved to New York City to pursue her Master of Arts degree in Fashion and Textile History at New York University’s Steinhart School. While in graduate school, she interned with The Ukrainian Museum in the East Village of Manhattan, working hands-on with their Folk Art Collection of textiles and regional dress. Sarah has worked with St. George to assess their Croatian costume collection. This included organizing the garments in their storage vault for an optimal environment, given the proof of these decades-old treasures.

Sarah’s hope as a fashion historian is to bring academic scholarship to under-researched cultural fashion studies of Croatian origin, specifically in tradition and technique. She added insightful expertise and academic knowledge to her role as the Rudy Perpich Fellow in 2022.

Learn more about this fellow

Tatjana Mustac

2021

Tatjana Mustac

Tatjana Mustac is pursuing a Master of Science in Education degree while completing a Bilingual Psychologist Training Program in the Croatian language. Tatjana describes herself as a lifelong student since she is always trying to learn everything from different cultures to different fields of study outside of her traditional STEM coursework.

Tatjana enjoys embracing her Croatian heritage as a member of the Croatian American community, as a board member for NFCACF, a member of the Croatian Catholic Youth of NYC, and as the 2021 Rudy Perpich Fellow.

In the past, Tatjana has been a member of the Kardinal Stepinac Folklore Group of NYC, a folklore instructor at the Croatian School of NYC, and a study abroad participant at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZŠEM). Additionally, Tatjana has been honored with many awards and scholarships within a variety of Croatian and Slavic organizations, such as the “40 Under 40” Croatian American title and the Future Croatian Woman Leader award.

As per her plans, Tatjana hopes to continue her journey as a lifelong student in all facets of her life. Tatjana has been interested in writing a book about her family’s journey to the United States.

Learn more about this fellow

Tatjana Mustac
Abby McDonald

2021

Abby McDonald

Abby McDonald grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota, in a family that has always been very proud of their Croatian heritage. Her grandfather, Bob McDonald, taught her that being a Croatian is something to be wholly proud of. 

Abby has had the incredible opportunity to travel to Croatia on three separate occasions. At the time of her participation with the NFCACF as the Rudy Perpich Fellow, Abby was pursuing a degree in psychology from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, with later plans to achieve a graduate degree. Her parents are Joel and Carrie McDonald, and she has one younger brother named Ayden, along with three pet beagles.

As the 2021 Rudy Perpich Fellow, Abby completed projects supporting both national Croatian communities and local Croatian communities. She is really passionate about the support and influence she was able to contribute to Croatian communities in Minnesota.

Learn more about this fellow

Abby McDonald

2020

Mark Plavetic

Mark Plavetic is a Board Member, Officer, and National Coordinator for NFCACF and Program Administrator for the Central & East European Coalition.

In March 2020, Mark began his involvement with the Croatian American community as a Rudy Perpich Fellow, where he coordinated with the President of NFCACF, Steve Rukavina, to write research papers about Croatian and U.S. diplomatic relations, the Double Taxation Treaty, Croatian tourism, and the LNG Floating Terminal Construction on the island of Krk. Through this research, he engaged

Along with the Croatian Fraternal Union of America, Mark assisted NFCACF’s initiatives to raise money for renovations of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb (MOU) after sustaining damage from the 2020 Zagreb Earthquake. He co-authored an article with Steve Rukavina for Total Croatia News, called NFCA Relief Fund for MUO-Art Museum in Zagreb. Mark and the NFCACF helped raise over $21,000 for the MUO-Art Museum Fundraiser through social media outreach, fundraising, and sending newsletters, which helped coordinate with over 15 Croatian American organizations.

In May 2019, Mark graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Science and a Minor in International Studies. He is a second-generation American with both Croatian and Latin American ancestry.

Learn more about this fellow

2019

Anna Maria Sicenica

Anna Maria Sicenica was honored to be the Rudy Perpich Intern of 2019 and has stayed with the NFCACF as a Board Member and Officer At Large. Her parents come from Split, Croatia, and she was fortunate to spend most summers there growing up.

She graduated from Chatham University in 2018 and from Duquesne University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law in 2023. Now, she is an associate at McGuireWoods LLP in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Learn more about this fellow

2018

NICHOLAS RETHMEIER

Nicholas Rethemeier, a recent graduate from St. John’s University was a summer intern shared between the Croatian Cultural Society of Minnesota and the National Federation of Croatian Americans through a Rudy Perpich Fellowship.

Two major projects that Nicholas did for us was creating a list of 50 Noteworthy Minnesotan Croatians and a Minnesota Croatian Business Directory which will be available for sale later. For the NFCA, Nicholas was instrumental in writing about the Double Taxation program and Visa Waiver programs.

Learn more about this fellow