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| After graduating, Mary Camaj exhibits wearing Xhubletë (Jublet) in front of Columbia University |
Mary Camaj is one of the thousands of Albanian children born and raised in the Diaspora by Albanian parents. However, unlike many of her peers, Mary's Albanian heritage has become a mission for her. She considers knowledge of the Albanian language as a treasure, one that she has vowed to utilize to explore original sources and to tell the story of her nation to all those Albanian children who have not learned the Albanian language, Albanian Diaspora reports.
Wearing the traditional Albanian Jubleta on her graduation day was not a random choice; it was the next step in her journey of promoting and raising awareness about Albanian history and culture.
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| After graduating, Mary Camaj exhibits wearing Xhubletë (Jublet) in front of Columbia University |
"Today, I graduated from Columbia University with a master's degree in Political Science. Over the past year, I have produced work explicitly focusing on the indigenous Albanian population of the Balkans, aiming to incorporate the Albanian perspective into academic discourse and to reclaim the narrative about the region. I am very grateful and proud to have been able to use the Albanian language in my studies and to prioritize the work of Albanian authors in my research. Although I was born and raised in the United States, I am first and foremost an Albanian woman, and my identity will always be the essence of what I do," she expressed in a social media post.
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| After graduating, Mary Camaj exhibits wearing Xhubletë (Jublet) in front of Columbia University |
Mary Camaj completed her undergraduate studies at Manhattan College in International Studies and Political Science in 2023. There, she gave numerous presentations and wrote countless papers about Albania. "I have spoken about the injustices faced by Albanians in Presheva, about Albania's integration efforts into Europe, and wrote my thesis on the movements that emerged in the Highlands and Chameria after the London Conference of 1913," she told the Albanian Diaspora.
She completed her Master's in Political Science at Columbia University, focusing particularly on the Balkans region and the states with indigenous Albanian populations.
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| After graduating, Mary Camaj exhibits wearing Xhubletë (Jublet) in front of Columbia University |
"I plan to conduct research for the benefit of the Albanian nation, and I believe it is important for Albanians themselves to inform the world about their history and not rely on the narratives of foreign scholars. I am fortunate to be able to speak and write in Albanian, as it helps me access many sources. Unfortunately, many children in the diaspora cannot say the same, and for this reason, I hope to conduct research that encourages other Albanian diaspora children to learn more about their roots and write about their identity in their work. Furthermore, I am delighted and fortunate to say that I am the first student in the history of Columbia University to request, take, and pass a proficiency exam in Albanian language knowledge. This exam serves as a complement to the requirement for research skills for my degree (which can be fulfilled by proficiency in a foreign language), showing that I am able to use the Albanian language in my research and studies. Since the exam had never been requested before, the university initially did not have the means to provide it for me. Now, I hope that many other students in the future will be able to undergo such an exam and use Albanian in their studies," explained Camaj to the Albanian Diaspora.