Melanie Petkovic-Samuelsen

**Melanie Marija Petkovic-Samuelsen** (née **Petkovic**; born June 12, 1968) is an American photojournalist and the wife of U.S. Senator Devin Samuelsen. Her photos have been featured in publications such as *Time*, *National Geographic*, and *The New York Times*.

Born in Anaheim, California, Petkovic-Samuelsen graduated from Fairmont Preparatory Academy in 1986, and afterwards enrolled in Stanford University. She graduated from Stanford in 1990, with a degree in urban studies. After graduating, Petkovic-Samuelsen began working various odd jobs in Los Angeles, California, until beginning her own photography business in 1993. In 2000, she graduated from the USC Roski School of Art and Design with a degree in curatorial practices and the public sphere.

Petkovic-Samuelsen transitioned from personal photography to photojournalism in 2002, and her photos have been featured in publications such as *Time*, *National Geographic*, and *The New York Times*.

## Early life and family

Petkovic-Samuelsen was born on June 12, 1968 in Anaheim, California to parents Slavo (né *Slavoljub Petković*; born 1935) and Louise Petkovic (née *O'Grady*; born 1936). Her father is an immigrant to the United States from Zagreb, Croatia, who arrived in 1957 to attend the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, while her mother is an American of primarily Irish and Scottish descent; she was raised bilingually in English and Croatian. Marko worked as an anesthesiologist, while Louise was a professor of European history and women's studies at Chapman University. Petkovic-Samuelsen grew up in a Catholic family as the eldest of three children; her younger siblings include Dennis, born  (1971-04-30) April 30, 1971 (age 52), and Courtney, born  (1973-04-02) April 2, 1973 (age 50).

## Education

Petkovic-Samuelsen attended private schooling in Anaheim. She began her education in 1973, attending school at the Anaheim Hills Campus of Fairmont Private Schools, an independent coeducational multi-campus school system. She began high school at Fairmont Preparatory Academy in 1982, where she was an honors student and member of the varsity swimming and diving team; she was a state champion diver in her junior and senior years of high school. Petkovic-Samuelsen graduated from high school in 1986.

After graduating from high school, Petkovic-Samuelsen moved to Stanford, California to attend Stanford University. She graduated from Stanford in 1990, with a degree in urban studies. In 1996, Petkovic-Samuelsen enrolled in the USC Roski School of Art and Design to study in their master's program in curatorial practices and the public sphere. She graduated with her degree in 2000.

## Personal life

Petkovic-Samuelsen began dating lawyer Devin Samuelsen in 1989; they had met while they both were students at Stanford University. After graduating in 1990, Samuelsen moved to Connecticut and they ended their relationship. Samuelsen returned to California in 1993, and shortly afterwards they resumed their relationship. They became engaged later that year, and married the year afterwards. Petkovic-Samuelsen and Samuelsen have three children together: Ruby, born  (1997-05-12) May 12, 1997 (age 26), Elijah, born  (1998-12-03) December 3, 1998 (age 25), and Delilah, born  (2000-04-27) April 27, 2000 (age 23).

The family owns multiple residences; their primary residence is their eight-bedroom Bel Air, Los Angeles home, valued at $17.5 million. They also own a six-bedroom home in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and a six-bedroom townhouse on the Upper East Side of New York City. During her husband's tenure as Mayor of Los Angeles from 2009 to 2015, the family resided in Getty House, the traditional residence of the Mayor.