I am in my junior year at Colgate University. I study Chemistry and work for the National Institutes of Health. Living in the US changed my personal and global perspective on life. I had my English teacher’s words confirmed. Education opens doors and empowers everyone who is eager to learn and take the journey of their own life.
For me this journey was far away from home and it took me a lot of hard work getting there. I started my English lessons at Club Raven in 7th grade along with my older brother who was already preparing for the SAT and TOEFL exams. I was aware of the hard work I had to put but I knew that my efforts would be appreciated and I would follow my brother’s example to have access to one of the greatest liberal arts education. I was lucky to have a great teacher – Mr. Ilian Iliev. He taught us world history, literature, arts, and contemporary issues in English. Most importantly, he showed us how to have an active engagement with knowledge. My passion to pursue my goal was reflected on my performance on the SAT exams. I got 2270 on SAT I, 790 on SAT II Math I, and 740 on SAT II Biology. I took TOEFL with a score of 107, too. I was in 10th grade and I knew that planning ahead is a key to a good performance. I did a broad research on universities in the US and I was accepted in my top choice early in 12th grade. Colgate University offered me a generous financial aid for 4 years which covered the tuition so I didn’t need to worry about the affordability of the schools abroad.
Three years later, my journey is still going. I am learning how to bridge different fields of knowledge in a creative and constructive way. My medical research in drug discovery embraces not only Organic synthesis, but also Pharmacology and Chemical Biology. Dreaming big, working hard and being a global citizen of the world are all things I first learnt at Club Raven.
