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 x|Time, x|National Geographic, and x|The New York Times.

Born in x|Anaheim, California, Petkovic-Samuelsen graduated from x|Fairmont Preparatory Academy in 1986, and afterwards enrolled in x|Stanford University. She graduated from Stanford in 1990, with a degree in urban studies. After graduating, Petkovic-Samuelsen began working various odd jobs in x|Los Angeles, California, until beginning her own photography business in 1993. In 2000, she graduated from the x|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 x|Time, x|National Geographic, and x|The New York Times.

Early life and family
Petkovic-Samuelsen was born on June 12, 1968 in x|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 x|Zagreb, Croatia, who arrived in 1957 to attend the x|David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, while her mother is an American of primarily x|Irish and x|Scottish descent; she was raised bilingually in English and x|Croatian. Marko worked as an anesthesiologist, while Louise was a professor of European history and women's studies at x|Chapman University. Petkovic-Samuelsen grew up in a x|Catholic family as the eldest of three children; her younger siblings include Dennis, born April 30, 1971, and Courtney, born April 2, 1973.

Education
Petkovic-Samuelsen attended private schooling in Anaheim. She began her education in 1973, attending school at the x|Anaheim Hills Campus of x|Fairmont Private Schools, an independent coeducational multi-campus school system. She began high school at x|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 x|Stanford, California to attend x|Stanford University. She graduated from Stanford in 1990, with a degree in urban studies. In 1996, Petkovic-Samuelsen enrolled in the x|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 x|Stanford University. After graduating in 1990, Samuelsen moved to x|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 May 12, 1997, Elijah, born December 3, 1998, and Delilah, born April 27, 2000.

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