OPPORTUNITY FUNDS-BULGARIA 

For High School Juniors and Seniors

Teodora Lazarova

Senior, St. Paisii Hilendarski High School, Zlatitsa

1.      Why did you apply for an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds-Bulgaria grant? (Do you value                       
the opportunity to learn about American education, culture and society as part of the program?)

Why I applied? Well I am from a small town called Zlatitsa and my family doesn’t have the opportunity to support me financially. But this was my dream and still is, to study in the United States, so when I found out about the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds-Bulgaria grant I decided to apply. I did not want to be a burden for my family and the program was my only chance. I value every piece of knowledge I have gained from the program, about the American education, culture and society. Because of everything I have learned as part of the program, now I feel more ready than ever to walk the final steps to fulfilling my dream of studying in the United States.

2.     What are your primary objectives in studying in the United States?

I have always had that perfect picture of the life in the United States and you might say it is naïve, and you might be right. But I think that it is the perfect place for me. I see a place full of opportunities waiting for me and the universities there have my major, which Bulgarian universities do not. Apart from that the universities in the U.S. do not focus only on your academic education and achievements, but also on the extracurricular activities which form you as a person and through them you what makes you unique. Because they encourage their students to develop their other interests apart from their major, increased my interest and made me want to study in the United States. Another objective that played a huge role in my decision was that you can experience all kinds of different cultures apart from the American.

3.     Why do you prefer the United States over other countries as a place of study?

 As I said in the previous question, the educational system in the U.S.  is what made choose the United States over the other countries. Their liberal arts system really helps students experiment with their majors and expand their different interests. And they do not focus only on the academic part but also encourage students to be active outside the classroom.

4.     What are your expectations of the US and university life?

My expectations of the US and the university life? I don’t think it will be easyon the contrary, I think that it will be tough. But not because I will be alone in a new country, but because I won’t have enough time to explore everything I want to. I will be busy with studying and the extracurricular activities I intend on visiting. I expect the first year to be very intense, because I will want to explore as many things as possible and I expect it to be full of wonderful experiences. I expect to meet a lot of new and exciting people with which to exchange ideas and knowledge, and of course friendly professors which will always be there to answer my questions.

5.     Have you researched US institutions to determine an appropriate placement? If so, what universities do you find most appropriate and why?

Yes, I have researched US institutions to determine an appropriate placement. For me particularly was hard to find universities which offer my major and give 100% of financial aid. Apart from that for me was very important the university to have a diversified community, to encourage students to think out of the box and take every opportunity handed to them, and always working towards improvement.

 6.     How will the Opportunity experience (acquisition of new skills and knowledge) assist you in achieving your academic goals?

The opportunity experience helped me a lot during my preparation for applying to American university. During the three Modules I acquired a lot of new skills and knowledge like how to write a successful essay, what to include in my research for university, never to give up and to keep working harder toward my goal and a lot more. Thanks to the Opportunity experience I was able to meet and get to know people with similar interest, with which I was able to focus on learning and get the most out of the Opportunity experience. This was because we were there to do the same thing and we had the same goal, so we were all working really hard on reaching that goal. The new skills and knowledge I acquired will help me to keep my focus and get through the challenges I will face in the future, and always to work hard toward my goals. 

7.     What advice would you give to future candidates applying for the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds grants?

I would tell you never to give up, even when the road seems rough. The EducationUSA Opportunity Funds grants will be there for you during your journey to the university. So don’t be afraid of the challenges, if your dream is to study in the United States but cannot afford it and you need help in your preparation the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds grants is for you. As a student from a small town, where very few people think of studying abroad, who knew almost nothing about the long process of applying in US universities, the program was of great help. So if you hesitate to apply for the program because of reasons like mine, don’t. It is a great opportunity and you won’t be alone, there will always be someone to guide you and answer all of your questions.

Disclaimer

The text is published in its original and unedited version.