An eye-opening tale of a young and inspiring individual with the remarkable determination not only to stay but to thrive within the embrace of her small, yet compelling hometown – Blagoevgrad.

This article was compiled during the 2023 Media Bootcamp organized by sCOOL Media by a team consisting of Elena Dimitrova, Lilia Atanasova, and Marta Ruseva.

“I believe that Bulgaria is very special,” claims Alexandrina Mehandzhiyska – an 18-year-old aspiring IT specialist. How many other young individuals are openly voicing the same sentiment? Alexandrina is the epitome of extraordinary. She has an array of achievements, the most recent being her acceptance into esteemed universities worldwide. But instead of doing what most of her peers do – go abroad – she made the bold choice to flourish right where she was born in her beloved hometown of Blagoevgrad. What compelled her to make such a resolute decision?

As per the National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria, in 2022, approximately 31,500 individuals between the ages of 10 and 29 chose to depart from their homeland. This indicates a significant increase of more than double the emigrants recorded from the same age group back in 2019, approximately 14,400.

Young Bulgarians have a multitude of reasons for leaving. According to the last sociological survey, conducted in 2013, the primary objectives are to embrace a higher standard of living, to get married, to resolve financial concerns, to pursue professional growth, and to seek educational opportunities.

“I am absolutely tired of seeing motivated, talented young people moving from Bulgaria and running away,” Alexandrina states explicitly. The diverse factors behind her decision to stay in Bulgaria unite together to embody the essence of what is most vital to her: home.

It all started with Alexandrina’s passion for Computer Science, which was ignited 4 years ago when she attended her first programming lecture and “fell in love with it immediately”. A mere hour of delving into the subject led her to the realization that this was the path she would follow: “to pursue my career in the field of Information Technology here in Bulgaria and try to contribute to the development of our society.” The abundance of all her accomplishments and initiatives within her homeland serves as compelling evidence of her declaration.

Alexandrina is a remarkable talent, proven by her 2022 SAT results which placed her in the top 1% globally for Mathematics. In a Facebook post, she shares: “I am honored to be one of the top 10 members of Goodwaller out of more than 2 million.” She dominated the IT programming competition “I can – here and now” this year, claiming first place. What makes it truly remarkable is that she single-handedly prepared herself for the contest. “I didn’t have anyone to teach me, to prepare me for the competition. I was alone… and I felt quite scared if I have to be completely honest,” she explains. But, against all odds, she managed to come out on top.

Her ambition and intelligence allow her to live a life that is fulfilling right at home: something that eludes many others. She is a web developer in the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, a programming lecturer at Software University, and a project manager of the national educational initiative SoftUni for Teachers. Her lifestyle finds its diversity through numerous initiatives she wholeheartedly engages in, such as The Bulgarian Red Cross Youth chapter, the ABLE Mentor program, and and music.[SK3]

“It’s very easy for other people to think that your life is perfect and that you achieve everything very easily, but that’s not quite the situation.” Success is intertwined with the overcoming of difficulties. One of Alexandrina’s toughest challenges is the fact that she comes from “a smaller town that obviously doesn’t have as many opportunities as the capital, Sofia”.

Rather than viewing it as a setback, this obstacle seems to fuel her determination to stay at home even more, which further demonstrates her outstanding beliefs. She explains: “For me, I believe this has opened another door, and that’s the fact that I can be the one to take the initiative.”

When discussing her decision to remain in Bulgaria and her hometown, she exudes unwavering certainty. Alexandrina reflects on being away from loved ones as something “we kind of always acknowledge but we have never thought about how it actually feels”. Unlike the majority of her peers, she has “never imagined permanently going to another country”. The incessant thought of “betraying everyone” around her has helped to steer her mind away from that particular direction.

Her high school Information Technology teacher, Albena Uzunova, shares that Alexandrina “is one of the most active people in the social life of Blagoevgrad”. This is evident through her captivating musical performances at charitable events such as “BigBand Blagoevgrad”. She also imparts her IT knowledge in the very high school she once attended, refining her teaching skills and empowering students who share her passion.

Alexandrina frequently encounters being “subjected to discrimination” due to her age and previous academic institution, about which she emphasizes the fact that she cannot even count the times that she has “been laughed at”. Apparently, attending a humanities high school proves to be a stumbling block for acceptance within the community of fellow IT contestants.

She confronted further discrimination at the start of her professional journey as well. Alexandrina mentions: “People have a lot of prejudice, and they automatically think that if you are 17, you cannot be a lecturer, or you cannot handle the responsibility to lead a team.” These challenges have instilled in her the resilience to never surrender, but rather to fight harder towards achieving her goals.

She emphasizes the invaluable takeaway from those experiences, which is to “give a chance to everybody, regardless of their academic or personal background” because she believes that “everyone is valuable”.

Thriving on inhospitable and rocky terrain is no easy feat. Undeterred, Alexandrina has resolved to flourish solely within her homeland, driven by an unwavering “sense of national identity”. Fuelled by the conviction that “Bulgaria is special” and a deep desire to “give back to the ones that have supported” her, she remains determined in her mission to contribute to her country’s advancement.

Alexandrina manages to balance her ambition with a pragmatic mindset. “I am aware that I cannot make a significant change alone, but, working with other people who have the same mindset, I believe we can have some positive impact on Blagoevgrad’s community,” she says.

Through her heartfelt words about Blagoevgrad, it becomes unmistakably clear that this town, this country, holds a significance far beyond being her mere place of residence. Alexandrina expresses: “I have lived here my entire life… I have learned my ABCs here, and I have also specialized in Mathematics and Engineering here… ”. From cherished childhood memories to magnificent achievements, she has witnessed and experienced countless changes over the years. Yet, amidst all these transformations, one constant has remained: her revered home – Blagoevgrad. A home that not only fills her heart with tenderness but also ignites her imagination, propels her to pursue her dreams, and enables her to accomplish great things. Above all else, this is the utmost reason why she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.