hi 👋 — I'm Mateja Srejić

a developer and organizer building tools for education and community

Subotica, Serbia hi@mateja.me
Mateja Srejić
17 Years old
8 yrs Coding experience
500k+ Students helped
1:59h Half-marathon PB
Rise

Global Fellow

Autobiography
I'm a high school junior from Subotica (Serbia) who's been coding since 9 and I love turning small ideas into tools people actually use. I'm a leader by nature when I know the topic – organizing youth events, mentoring peers and collaborating with schools all because helping others navigate education motivates me as much as building. Most days I split time between web/mobile work and competitive programming, then reset by doing sports or hanging out with friends. I've earned some awards along the way, but I care more about my momentum: to learn fast, ship often and share what I know. I'm happiest when something I build removes friction for someone else and sparks them to try building too.
Mateja Srejić at the government of Serbia, 2023
Mateja Srejić at the final exam celebration, 2023
Right now, I'm...
  • expanding my educational nonprofit EduCompass
  • participating in programming, maths and language competitions
  • developing my skills in web development, AI and project management
  • attending international conferences, workshops and science camps
  • teaching children programming
  • running sub-2h half marathons and playing tennis
  • hanging out with friends
I want to...
  • help others through the things I build
  • learn fast by shipping real products
  • lead and give back to the community
  • read more and eat healthier
Right now, I'm...
  • expanding my educational nonprofit EduCompass
  • participating in programming, maths and language competitions
  • developing my skills in web development, AI and project management
  • attending international conferences, workshops and science camps
  • teaching children programming
  • running sub-2h half marathons and playing tennis
  • hanging out with friends
I want to...
  • help others through the things I build
  • learn fast by shipping real products
  • lead and give back to the community
  • read more and eat healthier
Mateja Srejić at the final exam celebration, 2023

Programming journey

Projects & initiatives

Competitions & awards

Artificial Intelligence
IAIO 2026 — International Winter AI Olympiad
Ljubljana, Slovenia · Represented Serbia
Honorable mention
NOAI 2025 — National AI Olympiad
Belgrade
Superfinal
Programming
Serbian Programming Olympiad
2021, 2023
3rd Place
National Programming Competition
2021 · 2022, 2023, 2024 · 2026
1st (2021) · 3rd (2022–24)
HS Algorithm
2026
3rd Place
Mathematics
Regional Maths Competition
2021, 2023 · 2022, 2024 · 2026
1st (2021, 2023) · 3rd (2022, 2024)
National Maths Competition
2021, 2023
Honorable mention
Languages & other
Cambridge FCE
C1 — CEFR
English & Italian competitions
Regular participant

Scholarships & distinctions

Rise Fellow
Schmidt Futures & Rhodes Trust — international scholarship
Competitor of the Year
Serbian Government — overall competition achievements
Vuk Karadžić Diploma & Dositej Order
For excellent conduct and achievements in primary school
Provincial Informatics Diploma
Secretariat of Vojvodina — computing achievements

Conferences & events

Camps & activities

Petnica Research Centre
Summer Science School · Computer science & Electronics seminar
PFE Electronics Camp
Tršić
Summer School of Programming
Student (2021–23) · Speaker & Junior Mentor (2025)
Speaker
American Corner Subotica
Talk on cryptocurrency & blockchain
Speaker
DigiEduHack · European Researchers' Night · Skill Up
Hackathons & events · Winner at Skill Up
European Youth Parliament
Member of AIDA committee
Young Entrepreneurs Program
Entrepreneurship skills development

Vision for the future

My goal isn't to be successful — my goal is to help others be successful. I believe in the 98/2 rule: 98% of people do what everyone else does, while only 2% try to make a real difference. I strive to be in that 2%.

I want to be a mentor who doesn't just share knowledge, but inspires, encourages and helps young people see the bigger picture. The activities of EduCompass Association are just the beginning.

Long-term, my goal is to be a driver of innovation at the intersection of technology and education.

(100% + 1%)365 = 37.78 ≫ 1 = (100%)365
Get 1% better every day. That's enough.

Read from my blog

Rise Residential Summit 2025 in Oxford
August 23, 2025  ·  6 min read
A hundred brilliant minds in one place
My experience at the Rise Residential Summit 2025 in Oxford — ten unforgettable days with 99 of the world's most talented young people, filled with lectures, workshops, London adventures and lasting friendships.
Read post →