OPPORTUNITY FUNDS-BULGARIA
For High School Juniors and Seniors
Success Stories
Aleksandrina Dimova
AY2016-17 Opportunity Student
Ivan Vazov Language High School, Plovdiv
NYU Abu Dhabi, UAE
Psychology
My name is Aleksandrina Dimova and I am a second-year student at New York University Abu Dhabi. I had the privilege of being among the first twelve Bulgarian high school students who were selected to participate in the Opportunity Funds Bulgaria program in 2016-2017. The program’s resources and the guidance it provided have helped me become part of the prestigious and highly selective institution I attend now. Although I chose to pursue my undergraduate degree in an American university located in the United Arab Emirates and not the United States, which was one of the goals of the program, I have successfully fulfilled another major goal of Opportunity Funds: a scholarship covering 100% of my university expenses. I have secured my place in one of the main campuses of the largest American research university and I am thus taking steps toward my dream of becoming an eating disorder psychologist while having unique opportunities to explore new cultures and travel across the Global Network of New York University.
Opportunity Funds Bulgaria has helped me achieve this by providing support in several major ways. A crucial aspect of the program has been the funding it gives to students from low-income backgrounds. These financial resources are crucial for the successful application process because standardized tests such as the SAT I, SAT II, and iBT TOEFL could be a serious – sometimes even unbearable – burden for low-income families which simply lack the finances to afford them. But the Opportunity Funds Bulgaria program does much more than simply paying exam fees. The three immersive one-week modules included in the program have been very helpful for my academic preparation for the standardized tests because they gave me the opportunity to learn from highly qualified instructors, including Fulbright fellow Sophia Kleinsasser whose feedback has been extremely helpful for the process of writing a successful Common Application essay.
Every module has also provided salient advice about applying to American colleges and universities by incorporating presentations and other activities related to selecting institutions to apply to and crafting a competitive application. This process has been facilitated by the amazing EducationUSA advisor Snejana Teneva who has been an irreplaceable source of support throughout the program. She has also contributed to making the modules entertaining and engaging by adding sports and other activities we could participate in. Although the focus of all modules has been success in the application process, a valuable aspect of them and the program as a whole is the community which is created. Opportunity Funds has gathered a small group of top students who all receive the support and advice they need while also learning to support and learn from one another. The one-week modules of Opportunity Funds Bulgaria have given me the first glimpse of college life by placing me in an environment where I live and study with a small group of exceptionally intelligent and hard-working individuals who pursue similar goals while learning and growing in the process.
Opportunity Funds Bulgaria 2016-2017 has been a valuable and enjoyable experience which has prepared me for success in the process of applying to American colleges and universities and beyond. I hope it will continue supporting other low-income students on their path to success in American higher education.
Disclaimer: The text is published in its original and unedited version.
Marhaba 2017
