AUBG Summer Camp 2021 Gathers Students from 16 Countries
After a long and eventful summer, we are back on campus, sharing the stories of the past few months.
The AUBG Educational Summer Camp 2021 gathered 70 students from 16 countries on the campus in Blagoevgrad. For two weeks in July, the high schoolers took courses in business and entrepreneurship, journalism and creative writing, communication and leadership skills, and drama.
And while the educational part of the camp is undoubtedly important, the students shared it was also the soft skills and friendships they gained that made the experience so valuable.
“I met so many incredible young adults, I learned new and useful things, I overcame my stage fear,” said Radina Minkova, a camp participant from Bulgaria. “The teachers taught me how to think deeply, made me feel flexible, and helped me step out of my comfort zone. In addition to the knowledge I gained in the classes, I learned that there are many ambitious people ready to conquer the stage of life, so you have to work hard if you want to become successful.”
My experience with the AUBG Summer Camp was great and so much fun,” said Uros Adamovic, a camp participant from Serbia. “I enjoyed every single minute of it.”
AUBG students are traditionally involved with organizing the camp. This summer six students took the roles of camp teachers, leaders, and counselors. They prepared course programs, led team building activities, and helped students prepare for their weekly presentations where they showed what they have learned in class.
“We, as staff, were exhausted 24/7,” said Sofia Drenkova, a camp teacher and a fourth-year student at AUBG. “But in a good way, it was a rewarding kind of exhaustion. It was interesting to me that we were not that much older than the participants, yet, they respected us in the classroom and really perceived us as their teachers. This camp was the highlight of my professional life – seeing what the students were able to achieve in only two weeks, and how thankful they were for that.”
The organizer of the camp program, Radosveta Miltcheva, Assistant Dean of Students at AUBG, shared that it was thrilling to be able to offer all the activities that make the summer camp so special. “The most rewarding thing was to see the students being able to interact in person and make friends with peers from around the world after a year which they mostly spent online.”
“For only two weeks I learned what youth is all about,” said Yana Golemanova, a camp participant from Bulgaria.