Life can be full of surprises and abrupt turns. For Martina Vezenkova (EMBA ’24), hers came when she was ten-years old and living near Blagoevgrad.
“When he was mayor of a small town, my dad’s assistant applied for a U.S. green card with his knowledge, but it was something of a lark with no expectation of success,” she explained. Surprise! He won the lottery and got the green card. A super serendipitous moment and turning point.
“What now,” the family asked? They went, departing for Dallas, Texas, a place they knew only because of the eponymous TV series. Dad, the now former elected official, and mom, the now former kindergarten principal, worked different jobs in Texas before moving to Chicago for training to become tractor-trailer commercial truck drivers.
“My parents aren’t big risk takers so making such a bold move – leaving everything behind to start a new life halfway across the world—was entirely unlike them.”
Mom, petite, must have been a sight, sitting high up in the cab of a16-wheeler, air horn and CB radio at the ready. How do you say “10-four, good buddy,” in Bulgarian?
While in Dallas, Martina, a third grader, was plopped in the middle of a local public school, speaking almost no English. “There were kids from Mexico, Columbia, China, Japan, Pakistan, Romania–really, from all over the world. My best friend was from India. Coming from Bulgaria, which felt isolated in the early 2000s, it was both surprising and fascinating to suddenly be surrounded by such a rich community. It was shocking at first, but also incredibly rewarding.”
“Luckily everyone was friendly. I was just as much of a novelty to them as they were to me. The other third graders took it upon themselves to teach me English, one word at a time. At the end of the first year, I was speaking the language.”
Martina, her brother and parents all became U.S. citizens. “I remember saying the pledge of allegiance to the flag every morning. It was a great way to integrate the native-born with foreigners.”
Back to Bulgaria
Her parents decided to split the year in the U.S. and Bulgaria. She went back to Bulgaria full-time to start seventh grade. “I took necessary exams and eventually went to a foreign language high school with a French immersion program.”
“Afterwards, I went to the United Kingdom to study art and fashion. When I got back to Bulgaria, I got married and later had a son. I separated from my husband a couple of years ago, and we are divorced. That’s another story.”
She applied for and got a job at the American University of Bulgaria (AUBG). “I didn’t know much about the place but heard good things, and, well, in a sense, we’re peers, both ‘born’ in 1991.”
The job she applied for was in the admissions office. After an interview with the then university president, he said they had a new opening in the alumni office and offered her that position. She gladly accepted.
“That was 2015, and it was crazy. It was a lesson in crisis management, including my own. There was turnover in leadership at that time.”
“At first, I wasn’t fully accepted by the alums because I wasn’t one of them. It was a lack of trust. It took time to earn it.” And she did.
She explained that AUBG is a young university. The first graduating class was only in 1995, they’re still in their thriving years–still active and busy doing fascinating things. There are 6300 alumni, with another class adding to that number this year. She calls them “shining diamonds.” Half of these jewels live in Sofia.
“I’m always amazed by the unique bond between alumni and the powerful network they’ve built. It’s a community like no other, almost like a family. It’s so inspiring to see graduates thrive and succeed while extending their support to current students and fellow alumni, offering mentoring, advice, guidance, expertise, and experience. Employers know they’re hiring highly qualified individuals when they bring an AUBG alum on board. I’ve never encountered anything like it. A degree from here really opens doors.”
Welcome to the happy island
A couple of years ago, she decided to do the EMBA at AUBG.
“It was a great program. It brings together students with rich and varied professional backgrounds, creating a dynamic learning environment enriched by world-class faculty and a curriculum that is hands-on, up-to-date and highly practical,” she said.
“The dedicated staff go above and beyond to ensure a smooth, well-supported experience throughout. It’s an outstanding program. Definitely not a walk in the park. It’s more like a rollercoaster ride: intense, demanding, and deeply fulfilling. It demanded my full attention and effort, but the personal and professional growth it delivered made every moment worthwhile.”
“One of the big benefits was the friendships I made. It’s hard to make new friends as you get older. I now have many great friends from the program who’ll be friends forever. I’ll always be grateful for those weekends spent in the program. It was my happy island.”
Even on the “happy island,” she had her moments of doubt. “The breakup of my marriage was a challenging experience – one that brought up questions and created uncertainty. But being placed in teams during the program became a turning point. Through the eyes of my teammates—who genuinely valued my contribution—I began to reconnect with parts of myself that had started to fade. Their presence in my life helped me rebuild and rediscover myself.”
The other benefit was developing leadership skills. She gave this summary of her important takeaways. Keep it simple; surround yourself with people who share your goals; do the right thing; speak out and speak up; don’t give up; ask questions; don’t make people feel bad about themselves; don’t be ashamed that you don’t have all the answers.
That’s a good list for the refrigerator door.
In her work with alumni, she encourages them to stay connected to AUBG and find ways to give back to their Alma Mater, and support causes important to them. She has witnessed an increase in the percentage of alums donating money, a significant development given the previously low base and no rooted tradition of giving.
This is changing, as evidenced by the success of the recent “Two Million Chances to Change a Life” campaign, which generated matching funds of $1 million in just a few months at the end of last year. The match came from the America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF), a long-standing and generous supporter of AUBG.
She’s most proud of her work on the alumni mentoring program, which provides a valuable platform for interaction between students and alumni. She also takes pride in the seamless collaboration on numerous joint initiatives with the AUBG Alumni Association (AAA), which plays a vital role in maintaining a strong, engaged and globally connected alumni network. She emphasizes that alumni can contact her anytime to talk about ideas for collaboration whether it’s speaking to a class or partnering with the university. [email protected]
What’s next? She’s passionate about empowering women, especially those stepping into a new life chapter on their own. Her passion lies in helping women find the strength, support, and resources they need to thrive after leaving behind toxic and destructive patterns. She wants to help people who are or will be in her shoes.
Bulgaria remains a conservative society and rights and services for women are not yet fully realized. “The professional environment is often harsh toward (single) mothers with employers assuming they’ll be unreliable.”
“While society has come a long way in encouraging women to walk away from destructive unions, it hasn’t fully embraced or supported the reality that follows. I want to create an ecosystem of empowerment and guidance – a platform where women can find mentors, lawyers, psychologists and sources of financial support.”
“I see an important unmet need and want to fill it. This is the AUBG way.”
