The Bulgarian Embassy in Brussels hosted a meeting of high school graduates from the Bulgarian Sunday School "Peyo Yavorov" with the team of the diplomatic mission in the Belgian capital. The goal of this meeting was for young people to see what diplomats do, what the diplomatic service is and to learn more about the role of Bulgarian diplomacy in the modern world. "The idea is for meetings with graduating students to become a tradition," Veselina Zhelyazkova, attaché to the Bulgarian Embassy in Brussels, said.

"The idea of ​​holding such a meeting here every year was born spontaneously. We want to introduce Bulgarian high school graduates to the activities of a diplomatic representation, by telling them a little more about the opportunities they can have for realization in Bulgaria, both in various departments and in the private sector," Veselina Zhelyazkova said.

In an open conversation, Veselina Zhelyazkova answered the questions of young people who are mostly interested in internship opportunities in Bulgarian institutions and in specialization programs.

"What we notice in our conversations with them is that they feel a strong desire for this connection with Bulgaria. The most frequent questions are about how they could start a career in one of the institutions and departments. I presented the opportunities provided by our Foreign Ministry through the Diplomatic Institute, as well as through the competition for trainee attachés, which is held every year and aims to attract more young people to the diplomatic service, which in recent years has experienced an acute shortage of personnel," Veselina Zhelyazkova said.

During the meeting, each of the graduates shared their personal story, dreams and plans for the future. Some of the young people see their future as lawyers, others as diplomats, architects, engineers and psychologists. All of them will continue their education in universities in European countries.

How does young Nadia Douglas, who is graduating from Collège Saint-Michel in Brussels, see her future?

"I want to study law in three languages ​​- French, Flemish and English, because I am good at languages. I see myself more as a diplomat who will improve relations between countries and maintain contact with people. I want to help people in need. My other dream is to travel, to discover the world and people, different cultures. Meeting different diplomats helped me a lot. There are many open doors in Bulgaria, as well as in other countries," the high school graduate says.

Sava Georgiev's ambitions are different:

"Next year I want to study engineering in Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Physics is very interesting to me. At school, this is my most interesting subject and I want to continue to study physics in the future," the twelfth grader says.

18-year-old Elitsa Gospodinova will study architecture next year, but she admits that she still has doubts:

"I have been accepted to the Eindhoven University, but I feel that this is not the place for me. I am currently interested in interior design and sustainable ecological ways of constructing and creating architecture. If I graduate abroad to return to Bulgaria, I will definitely have to pass some kind of exam or some internship to show that I can practice as an architect," she says.

"I will graduate from the European School in Brussels and next year I want to study law at the University of Tilburg, the Netherlands, where I have already been accepted,” 17-year-old Simeon Gorolomov says. “In April, during the open doors day I went to the university, listened to a few lectures, talked to some of the professors and really liked the program. I am not thinking about returning to Bulgaria now. Maybe it will happen in the future, after I finish my studies", the high school graduate says.

Blagovesta Hristova is also unsure about the direction she would take:

"I'm still wondering whether to study at a university in Leuven or in Brussels. The speciality I have chosen is psychology. Thanks to the internship I did this year with a psychologist in a nursing home, I know that I want to solve people's problems. My plan is to graduate here, gain some experience in Belgium, and after some time when I feel confident enough, to return to Bulgaria and try to pass on this experience," the young girl says about her ambitions.

Author: Daniela Goleminova

Publication in English: Alexander Markov

Photos: Daniela Goleminova