Lake Forest College

Melika Celebic grew up in Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She began playing tennis at the age of six and achieved notable results in national tournaments in the under-16 categories. 

Celebic entered Lake Forest College in 2009 and was the women’s tennis team’s top player and one of the best in the Midwest Conference throughout her collegiate career. She captured league titles at #1 singles during each of her first two years at the College and, after studying abroad in Botswana and France as a junior, posted a runner-up finish at the top spot in the lineup her senior season. Celebic also recorded a pair of second-place finishes in the conference at #1 doubles, each with a different partner. She was the Foresters’ Most Valuable Player all three years and finished her career with a 49-16 record in singles and 49-21 mark in doubles. Despite playing just three seasons, her 98 wins overall and career victory totals at #1 singles and #1 doubles were school records when she graduated and still ranked among the program leaders at the time of her induction. With Celebic atop the lineup, Lake Forest was 35-22-1 overall and 11-2 in league play and twice reached the championship match of the MWC Tournament.  

Successful in the classroom as well, Celebic was a two-time Academic All-MWC selection and earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete honors as a senior. She graduated from Lake Forest College in 2013 with degrees in economics and international relations. 

Celebic later completed a master’s program at the University of Sarajevo and the University of Bologna and began a career in finance and economics in international organizations.