Three AUBGers joined the Tuk-Tam scholars club this year. Ashod Derandonyan (’00), Elena Kalinova (’22) and Eliya Panchova (’23) each received 10,000 BGN to pursue masters programs abroad. They will then return to Bulgaria and use their new knowledge and experience to continue developing in their home country.
Derandonyan is the founder and CEO of Deaf.BG, an association for the rights and development of deaf people in Bulgaria. He has a bachelor’s in Business Administration from AUBG and will enroll at the Master of Public Administration program at Gallaudet University in the U.S.
Panchova graduated AUBG with a double major in Economics and Business Administration. Throughout her studies she was part of TEDxAUBG, and continues her work with the Aleksander Foundation and the Bulgarian Debates Association. In the fall she’ll begin her Masters in Management program at London Business School.
Kalinova, who won PostScriptum’s specialized Sustainable Development Scholarship, will also join London Business School but for a Masters in Financial Analysis. She was the valedictorian of the AUBG Class of 2022 and part of the team that won the 2022 local CFA Institute Research Challenge. She has a bachelor’s in Business Administration and Economics.
Tuk-Tam awarded 10 scholarships this year at their annual fundraising gala in Sofia. The funds distributed totaled 95,000 BGN, a record for the organization. A charity auction collected just over the same amount to distribute to next year’s winners.
The Tuk-Tam Go, Study and Come Back Fund, established in 2016, has helped dozens of students continue their education at some of the best universities across the world. It aims to give talented Bulgarians quality skills and international experience which they can use for building successful careers at home and for contributing to the betterment of their local environment.
