To Chicago and Back, Part Two: New York
In a series of four short stories, we will travel across the United States to discover what makes AUBG a unique place -- both in the region and across the ocean. Together with several AUBG representatives, I visited Atlanta, New York, Chicago and Boston Sept. 12-21 to connect with prospective students and AUBG graduates living in the States. Last week I shared my experience meeting with the AUBG alumni in Atlanta. Now it's time to tell you all about the time we spent in New York.
5:30 p.m., walking down New York's famous Fifth Avenue, then right turn on East 62nd Street. The Bulgarian and EU flags greeted us as we entered the Consulate General of Bulgaria in New York City. To my surprise, I saw many familiar faces. Board members H.R.H Princess Maria Luisa of Bulgaria and Dr. Edward Friedman and about 15 alumni that have been actively involved with the university for years have all joined us for the AUBG evening in New York.
Interim president Dr. David Evans welcomed the guests and talked about the vital role that the alumni play in the university's success. He also spoke about his meeting at Stevens Institute of Technology earlier that day, a meeting that paved the way for a new exciting opportunity for AUBG students. AUBG and the Stevens Institute of Technology, with the support of Dr. Friedman, are working on creating a partnership that would allow for student exchange programs between the two schools and possibly a 4 + 1 master’s program, a program that will enable AUBGers to complete a master’s program at the Stevens Institute of Technology in one year.
The group of alumni that gathered at the event to a great extent comprised of the people who started the New York AUBG Alumni Chapter back in 2013. The members of the "Magnificent Six" or the masterminds behind the chapter were Varbin Staykoff ('96), Dessi Nikolova ('96), Alec Oliver ('01), Elena Krumova ('95), Nikolai Dimitrov ('99) and Ana Milicevic ('01).
All of these alumni have achieved remarkable professional success at companies such as JP Morgan, American Express, Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Deloitte. And all of them consider AUBG to be a milestone in their personal and professional development.
Varbin, Dessi, Alec, Elena, Nikolai and Ana are also the people behind the New York Area Alumni Scholarship. Back in 2013, they managed to involve 19 other AUBG alumni from the Tristate area (NY, NJ and CT) and raise a total of $8,400. The money was divided into four scholarships of $2,100 each. Nowadays, the amount raised exceeds $20,000 and the alumni consider establishing an endowed scholarship that would secure continuous support to deserving students.
"We are looking to develop anticipation among the alumni to participate in the fundraising efforts of the university," Varbin said. The alumni support in the fundraising process is not necessarily related to substantial donations, he said, but rather aims to spread the "pay-it-forward" mentality among the AUBG alumni network.
Curious to hear more about the New York alumni's experience with AUBG, I spoke to a few of them. Here's what they said:
Elizaveta "Liz" Chaikovskaya
General Manager/Marketing Manager at Winslow & Company; Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
Major:
Business Administration
Minor:
Fine Arts
"I really loved my experience at AUBG; I met great people, so I always try to be present at events such as this one because it gives me the opportunity to reconnect. I would advise students to explore as much as they can, learn as much as they can, be open-minded. And I would advise the alumni – to keep in touch and tell the remarkable AUBG story to others."
Tanya Belcheva ('01)
Finance Manager Donor Agreements and Revenue Analysis at UNICEF
Major:
Business Administration
Minor:
Journalism and Mass Communication
"The most precious lesson I learned at AUBG is to meet deadlines. This is what I like most about the American style of education – you do not specialize in just one field, it gives you knowledge in a variety of subjects, it equips you with skills that would help you in your life - how to manage with difficult projects, teamwork, meeting deadlines, which are much more important than theory and which help you be successful in your career. One of the best years of my life were the years I spent at AUBG; I have beautiful memories related to my AUBG experience, here is why I deeply care about AUBG and want to know how the university is developing."
Varbin Staykov ('96)
Financial expert with experience working at the U.S. Department of Energy and Climate Change, JP Morgan and Deloitte & Touche
Major:
Business Administration
"The AUBG Alumni community is extraordinary. I speak for myself but I know that many people feel the same way. There is a great unity between the people who graduated from AUBG and now live in the States. And this needs to be transferred to the university and the university needs to continue to engage us."
Elena Krumova ('95)
Assistant Director at Columbia University in the City of New York
Major:
Business Administration and Economics
"I would advise the current students to take full advantage of all the opportunities that are offered at the university. I remember that one of the first impressions I got was about how many things you can participate in – Radio AURA, the newspaper, theater. And I still remember how I was thinking – I can be a part of all these great activities. Something that you could not do at another university. I felt electrified from all these opportunities and it was only up to me to take advantage. I would like to add also that at AUBG, we created a community. And this community lives and continues to exist 25 years later."
New York, New York… a magical place that never sleeps. Compelling, dazzling, dancing, energizing, enchanting. What a city! It cast a spell on me and I will surely be back.
It is 11 a.m. and we are getting ready for our next adventure, can't wait to see what Boston has to offer.