On the day of her last AUBG assignment, the Business Administration State Exam, I sat down with Temenuga Georgieva for a reflection on her AUBG journey. It started with her participation in the MultiTalent Quest in 2018 and finished with the Commencement ceremony in 2024. Temenuga graduated with a major in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing, which she “loves.” She also completed two minors that she “holds dear to her heart,” because they reflect her own personal interests: History and Film & Theater.
Business Administration was the major she felt certain about, as finance, accounting, marketing, and management are always relevant, she says.
“Then the history came, which is corresponds just to my desire to read, to read about cultures, history, and more like the context of events, because history is about the processes, the trends, how one emerged from the other. I see it, I don’t see it as points, plot points, I see it as one line. And then the Film & Theater, came because I was trying to suppress it. That’s why it came. Because it came to show me that my nature is strong and I should trust it because I’m going to like it.”
Life on campus is so dynamic that it can be difficult for students to fully process what they are experiencing while it is happening. During her last days at AUBG, Temenuga was grateful for the chance to pause and “just marvel the period.”
“I’m just here and I’m realizing how heavy the robes are and little details like this, and they make me feel present, and that I’m realizing the monumentality of this big thing.”
“Because I feel like assignments and all of these senior things are a bit desensitized, that we need some break to look with new eyes at what happens to us again. That when our parents come, they’re going to be, it’s going to be a very big, big, big thing for them.”
AUBG Journey
Not surprisingly, as a kid coming from a family with a medical background, Temenuga studied biology and chemistry in high school, planning to pursue medicine. However, when the time came to decide on her higher education, her mother encouraged her to choose an environment that would motivate her to “do more and achieve more.”
„And then a big influence was one of my English teachers, too, because she was the one who opened the door and showed this university to both of me and my mother.”
She arrived in Blagoevgrad to start her studies at AUBG in the fall of 2020, when COVID-19 measures and uncertainty were shaping life around the world. Yet she remembers that moment with a feeling of calmness and freedom.
“As I opened the door of the car and stepped my foot and I inhaled the air, the extremely fresh air. And it took me a year to get accustomed to how fresh this air is.”
Campus life, however, was not as social as it would usually be. Temenuga decided to spend her second semester at home and return to campus for her sophomore year.
“When I was weighing my options back when I had to make the decision whether to choose AUBG, I haven’t imagined myself being anywhere else. I actually envisioned myself on the lawn, having a good time with friends, playing frisbee, on no other campus but this one.”
Broadway Performing Club
At the beginning of her sophomore year, Temenuga experienced the regular student club recruitment parties, where she first met the team of the Broadway Performance Club.
“And that’s, from there on, it’s a love story. It’s a never-ending love story.”
Her first production was Cabaret. As part of the main cast, she worked closely with her stage partners to develop her role. She knew she had the vocal skills, but she also had to build the confidence to use them fully.
“And my topic was being the comic relief, which is great, it’s amazing. I love being able to make people laugh, it’s a power.”
Her next production was Legally Blonde, where she took on the role of Assistant Director. She was inspired by Elle Woods’ journey of self-discovery and by the courage it takes to stay true to oneself while overcoming obstacles.
“In the case of Elle Woods might be very pink and very artificial. But still with every single thing, she was becoming more brave and courageous to be herself and to not be afraid to go out of her stereotype that is blonde and pretty and pink. And yet she stood blonde, pretty and pink, but now knowledgeable.”
Then came Heathers, where Temenuga stepped up as Director. The production explored the challenges of the high school environment, the process of understanding right and wrong, and the importance of setting boundaries.
“Having given your time, efforts, emotions and being to this one cause is a very interesting relationship that I believe is worth it because it develops your capability to work with others and more like work for others.”
For her, being part of the Broadway Performance Club taught her dedication, teamwork, and service. It was more than gaining professional experience. It was about investing time, energy, and care into a shared creative project.
“It’s really beautiful to have the opportunity to contribute to something that is bigger than you. Because you see how your contribution matters, especially when it’s in the form that I had that stage.”
Although she had always been interested in team dynamics, project management, and the process of bringing people together around a shared goal, Broadway showed her the scale of what students can achieve at AUBG.
“But on the scale that we could do it here, it’s just unbelievable. It’s just massive. Because we are going on a tour with the production. And there is audience for this. And people recognize the university and the students through this production. And this is great.”
Looking Back
There is not much Temenuga would have done differently during her AUBG journey. Still, if there is one thing she would change, it would be to make even more space for learning.
“I would read more. And I would listen to professors more in class. I would pay more attention. Because everything that comes out of their mouths, I find valuable in one way or another. That’s one for academics.”
Her academic experience also strengthened her interest in marketing, a field she hopes to continue exploring both professionally and academically.
“And actually, the business major is super cool, especially in the marketing concentration. And I can’t wait to get my masters in the field.”
For now, she is looking forward to applying what she has learned and continuing to grow through practice.
“And I’m willing to learn more and practice it. But that depends on the job that I get, which I don’t want to jinx now.”
Advice to Future AUBG Students
Her advice to future AUBG students may sound like a cliché, she says, but it comes from experience: take everything the university has to offer and allow yourself to dream boldly.
“It feels like here you can dream big and actually have somebody to support you in this. So, I would say that the generations that are to come should dream big and to not be afraid to have rampant ideas and go for them and just leave a mark. Leave a mark in the sense not you leave a mark on the place, but in the sense let the place leave a mark on you.”
