A festive Thanksgiving lunch brought together AUBG students and their scholarship donors on Nov. 23 in Sofia. The occasion provided students a platform to express their gratitude and establish connections with the people and companies supporting their education.
In an address to the guests, AUBG President Dr. Margee Ensign emphasized the importance of acknowledging the impact of generosity amid the global challenges that often dominate headlines. “Gratitude matters,” she said. “We live in a world where we focus on all the big challenges, but every once in a while, we just need to stop and say thank you for being a great person, for supporting our students.”
Universities play a crucial role in fostering hope and optimism, Dr. Ensign said. “I was in a discussion this morning with somebody saying it’s hard to find hope in the world,” she said. “It’s not if you’re at a university; if you are surrounded by young people who are looking at a future.”
The president then gave the floor to students to express their gratitude and share personal stories about the impact of scholarships on their educational journey.
“As a Bulgarian living abroad, I’ve never really been in touch with my country,” said first-year student David Mihailovski who is the recipient of the America for Bulgaria Foundation scholarship. “Having the opportunity to get a scholarship and go to university in my home country was very touching and it meant a lot to me. And I hope during these four years that I spend here, I can learn more about my heritage.”
Fourth-year student Sabel Basheva won the Postbank scholarship thanks to her strong application, which included outlining a business development plan for the bank. “I want to say thank you because [this scholarship] is not only about the financial relief, it also gives you the self-confidence and the pride that you are able to do something that’s worth it,” she said.
Anton Perederii, a student representative to the AUBG Board of Trustees, said that it is thanks to the scholarship he received from the AUBG Alumni Association that he is able to be an active member of the AUBG community. In addition to representing the student voice to the Board, the Ukrainian student is the head of the marketing department of the math club Polygon AUBG, an intern at AUBG’s marketing office, and a member of the Debate Club.
Present at the event were representatives from the America for Bulgaria Foundation, Postbank, Coca-Cola, Progress Software, United Bulgarian Bank, Nova Television, Skill Force, Nestlé, and the AUBG Alumni Association.
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