EducationUSA Success Stories

УСПЕХИ НА УЧАСТНИЦИТЕ В ПРОГРАМАТА

„ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ В САЩ”

Teodora Tyankova, ASSIST Scholar

Junior at St. Andrews High School, Austin, TX

Teodora Tyankova, second from right to left

Thrilled, Hopeful and a Little Scared

The first day at Orientation we spent playing getting to know each other through fun games and activities. I felt connected to everyone and around people driven by the same motivations and curiosity.

On the second day, we went on a trip to Boston and got immersed in the culture of one of the oldest cities in the US. We were introduced to American history on a short tour, led by an articulate man in colonial clothing. And to finish our trip on a high note, we had some free time to shop and taste the international cuisine.

On the last day, we had instructional classes to help us cope with the transition. Everyone had the chance to ask any anticipated questions or just share his anxiety or happiness.

The orientation in Boston was the proper beginning of an amazing journey. After spending almost a whole day in planes and at airports, we arrived late at night in Pomfret school, our dormitory for the next few days. We were warmly welcomed with food and endless smiles from both staff and students. We were tired from the long hours of travel, so we headed straight to bed.

The next day we spent outside, playing games to get to know each other and bond over our similarities and embrace our differences. I met students from all over Europe, Asia and Australia and learnt how much in common I have with them. The second day we made a trip to Boston and learnt a lot about US history and heritage. It was our first glimpse of the culture we were about to get immersed in. We visited Harvard University and got a tour around the magnificent campus, which was an important experience for a lot of the scholars.

It would be an understatement to say that I was anxious about my arrival in the US. I didn't know what to expect and had absolutely no idea whether I will be able to adapt; but the Orientation meeting in Boston was the best transition I could wish for. I had the privilege of getting to know so many amazing people that were going through the same struggles as me, I felt as a part of a community. My first days in the US were filled with joy and excitement, and I can only wish that the rest of my stay here will be as amazing!

Disclaimer: The text is published in its original and unedited version.

SUCCESS STORIES

УСПЕХИ НА УЧАСТНИЦИТЕ В ПРОГРАМАТА „ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ В САЩ”

EducationUSA Accomplishments:

Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships

AY 2015-2019

In 2015, 24 twelfth-graders, participants in the EducationUSA Program of the Fulbright Advising Center in Bulgaria, have been accepted to U.S. universities and colleges with a total scholarship amount of $2,792,080 USD ($ 698,020 x 4 years). Students will be enrolled in the following colleges and universities:

American University in Bulgaria	NYUAD, UAE
Bard College, Berlin, Germany	Ramapo College, NJ
Cornell University, NY	Saint Leo University, FL
Drexel University, PA	St. John's University, NY
Furman University, SC	Syracuse University, NY
Hofstra University, NY	University of Houston, TX
Hult IBS, CA	University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA
Illinois Institute of Technology, IL	University of New Orleans, LA
Ithaca College, NY	University of South Florida, FL
Jacobs U, Bremen, Germany	University of the South, TN
Mercer University, GA	University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, WI
Mount Holyoke College, MA	Xavier University of Louisiana, LA
North Park University, IL

                                                                      

They will be studying Architecture, Civil Engineering, Biological Science, Physics, International Relations, Public Policy, Political Science, Journalism, Economics, Business Administration, International Business, and Computer Science.

Two of the Fulbright EducationUSA Program participants have been admitted on full scholarships at the following U.S. summer schools: Yale Young Global Scholars Program and George Washington University Precollege Summer Program.

Two more participants in the Fulbright EducationUSA Program have been awarded the prestigious ASSIST scholarship to attend a U.S. high school for one academic year.

We wish all Bulgarian students a very successful and rewarding experience in the U.S.!

Teodora Tyankova, 10^th grade, American College of Sofia (third from right to left), BEST U.S. Qualifier round in Blagoevgrad winner

Radoslav Bonev, 10^th grade, Petko Rachev Slaveikov Secondary School, Gabrovo, high school student government elections poster

Iliyan Georgiev, 11^th grade, Atanas Radev High School of Mathematics, Yambol, 2015 Dance Sport Bulgaria National Championship winner

Maria Pishiyski (front row, first from right to left), 9^th grade, Naiden Gerov High School, Lom, Eco Club volunteer

Gabriela Stoilova, 10^th grade, Viktor Hugo 81^st High School, Sofia, with St. John's University volleyball coach

Yulii Yuliev (front row, first from right to left), 12^th grade, Second English Language High School, Sofia, Red Cross volunteer, freshman at AUBG, Bulgaria

Nikol Patleeva (second from right to left), 10^th grade, Sveti Sedmochislenitsi First Secondary School, Turgovishte, Red Cross volunteer, Yale Young Global Scholars Program

Svetlana Koleva (right), 10^th grade, Romain Rolland Foreign Language School, Stara Zagora, Red Cross volunteer

Nevena Kavaldzhieva (right), 11^th grade, Romain Rolland Foreign Language School, Stara Zagora, Different Perspective festival

Gergana Ivanova (right), 9^th grade, Ivan Vazov Math and Science High School, Dimitrovgrad, Christmas fundraising campaign

SUCCESS STORIES

УСПЕХИ НА УЧАСТНИЦИТЕ В ПРОГРАМАТА „ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ В САЩ”

ASSIST Orientation in Connecticut

The Mission of ASSIST

For 46 years, ASSIST has connected leading scholars from around the world with outstanding private high schools in the U.S. More than 5,000 ASSIST Scholars from 51 countries have been awarded one-year, merit-based scholarships and enjoyed positive, life-changing experiences.

ASSIST, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Suffield, CT USA, is currently active in more than 20 countries, and maintains a school membership spanning 28 American states. ASSIST selects and places its Scholars with great care and supports them throughout their exchange year. The Class of 2015/16 is comprised of 178 students from 21 countries, and they study at 92 member schools. Scholars become part of an active, worldwide alumni community upon their return home.

Questions?

Please contact the Country Coordinator in your home country. We also encourage you to visit ASSIST web site:

By-country application instructions: www.assist-inc.org/prospective-scholars/application-instructions

Member schools: www.assist-inc.org/schools/school-locator

Alumni speak out: www.assist-inc.org/testimonials/170

Recent alumni profiles: http://www.assist-inc.org/profiles-of-our-scholars

U.S. college enrollments: www.assist-inc.org/alumniae/college-list

Brochure: www.assist-inc.org/sites/assist-inc.org/files/assist_student_brochure_2014-15_v2.pdf

SUCCESS STORIES

УСПЕХИ НА УЧАСТНИЦИТЕ В ПРОГРАМАТА „ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ В САЩ”

  

Nikol Patleeva, 10^th grade

Sveti Sedmochislenitsi First Secondary School,Turgovishte, Bulgaria

Yale Young Global Scholars: SPI (Science, Policy, and Innovation) Program, New Haven, CT, U.S.A. 

My name is Nicole Velinova Patleeva. I am 17 years old and this summer I had the amazing opportunity and unforgettable experience to visit Yale University, the USA and specifically to partake in Yale Young Global Scholars: SPI (Science, Policy, and Innovation) program.

I become part of YYGS family between July 25^th and August 7^th, 2015. During the time I was at Yale I attended various seminars and lectures but my favorite part were the seminars because then I had the chance to present my opinion and to share my knowledge. We also had campus tours where we learned a lot about campus life and the myriad of possibilities available to Yale students. We all had capstone projects and in order to complete our papers and presentations on the topic we  had been assigned, we had to work in teams of four which was a very rewarding experience in terms of both learning and fun. I had the invaluable chance to communicate with students from around the world and to learn about their unique cultures and fascinating backgrounds.

Apart from participating in numerous academic activities, we had free time too and that way we managed to get to know the other participants in the program and create lasting friendships.
My Yale experience made me a more confident and determined young person. It made me part of a great learning environment and provided me with the opportunity to learn from the best. I wish that everyone gets the chance to become part of something so special and would like to say a huge THANK YOU to everybody that made one of my dreams come true by helping me become part of this amazing program.

Nikol Patleeva (left)

    

SUCCESS STORIES
УСПЕХИ НА УЧАСТНИЦИТЕ В ПРОГРАМАТА „ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ В САЩ”

Ana-Maria Molnar, 10^th grade

Baba Tonka High School of Mathematics, Ruse, Bulgaria

George Washington University Pre-College Summer Program,

Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

Ana-Maria Molnar, third from right to left  

Writing the City

Scripting the Streets

And we became explorers,
Of both others and ourselves. 

Ana-Maria Molnar

My name is Ana-Maria Molnar and this summer I participated in the George Washington University Pre-College Program which took place between July 5th-17th, 2015 in Washington, DC. During the program’s twelve days we had the chance to explore some of the city's most significant landmarks and experience what life in the capital feels like.

The class I chose to enroll in  was called Writing the City and I cannot be happier with my choice. We had everyday field trips so we got to see quite a bit of Washington. Some of the places we visited included The National Mall, Georgetown, The American Indian Museum, the National Cathedral, Ben's Chilli Bowl, the famous fast food restaurant where president Barack Obama has eaten at, Capitol Hill, Union Station and many others. Every day we had a writing assignment related to the place we were visiting on that day. We were free to write in any genre we wanted to - essays, poems, made-up stories based on something that drew our attention, etc. Our field trips took place in the mornings - we would take off right after breakfast and most days we would come back for lunch and use our free time in the afternoon to write. Each of us would give their own interpretation of the day's events and would then upload it on the blog we created  - dcwritingthecity.blogspot.com

Some days after class we had different activities in the afternoons and evenings such as a College Success seriesin which students and employees at GWU would give us advice about college and answer any questions we had, Scavenger Hunt, Comedy Night, Talents Show, Monuments Tour and many others. We could choose whether we wanted to attend them or do something else. I attended most of them and they were all helpful in some way and a lot of fun.

I really enjoyed communicating with people from different cultures as there were students from countries such as Germany, Pakistan, China, Puerto Rico, Russia and of course the USA.  I definitely learned a lot about how the US education system works, both from the GWU employees and the American friends I made there.

This was a very enriching experience for me in many aspects - I travelled across half the globe all by myself (I was quite scared at first, I should admit), I saw a country so totally different from mine that I could not believe it at first (I had expected it, though) and I got to see what college and living with complete strangers feels like. At first I could not decide whether I liked it or not but by the end of the program I realised I did not want to leave at all and the friends I had made there said they would definitely visit Bulgaria in the near future. On our last day we were all hugging and getting emotional because we had grown so close to each other and had got to know each other very well even for such a short period of time. I am never going to forget those two weeks filled with passionate learning, genuine laughter and amazing memories!

A Goodbye in Paradise

Green life all around us
as we walk deeper into the garden.
Listening to the bees buzz,
trees surround us like a curtain.

Walking barefoot on the midmorning grass
big smiles on our faces,
cheerfulness inside our souls
but sadness in our gazes.

It is almost time to say goodbyes
for each of us has to go their own way.
This garden reminds me of paradise
and I wish we could forever stay.

Ana-Maria Molnar