Scholarship Winners on Campus

Studying at AUP

After receiving a BA in Global Communications from AUP with a minor in political communications – I graduated magna cum laude – I decided to stay at AUP to pursue a master’s degree, focusing on global communications and development.

Going beyond the classroom

While pursuing my undergraduate studies at AUP, I was president of UNICEF Campus AUP. During my presidency, UNICEF Campus AUP raised more funds than any other branch of UNICEF Campus in France. To help fundraise, we hosted events throughout the year, such as an art auction, a fashion show, an initiative for World Children’s Day, a celebration for International Women’s Day, a movie screening, a panel discussion and more. My goal as president was to inspire the AUP community and inform them about children’s rights, while coming up with engaging ways to help children fulfil their potential. Because of my involvement, I was awarded the Lubner Family Philanthropy Award during AUP’s graduation ceremony in 2018, when I also had the pleasure of addressing the AUP community as the graduation speaker.

Choosing AUP

When I was a junior in high school, I found out about AUP through my school counselor at the American College of Sofia, Bulgaria. I wanted to go to an American university in Europe, and I had been dreaming of living in Paris my whole life, so it was a match made in heaven. I visited AUP with my mother and attended an information session and campus tour, and I immediately knew that AUP had my heart and that I would be honored to have the opportunity to attend the University. I also chose to attend because it is one of the most diverse and international universities in the world, and I knew that I would learn not only from my professors, but also from my peers. AUP is a unique institution that makes you feel like you belong and like you are always surrounded by a family that has your back.

While at AUP, I hope to deepen my understanding of sustainable development and the ways in which digital communications can be used to have a social impact. I also hope to create interesting charity campaigns and philanthropy projects with my classmates. The fact that AUP is so international also gives me the opportunity to form relationships with people from all over the globe and learn about their heritage and culture.

How scholarships change the AUP/Paris experience 

My scholarship allowed me to pursue my degree at AUP, and I am forever grateful for this opportunity. If I did not have a scholarship, I would not have been able to study here. I hope that one day I will be in a position to help students study at AUP and change their lives the same way that the financial aid I received changed mine. 

Scholarships are essential for AUP students because they provide the opportunity for intelligent, passionate and motivated individuals who otherwise would not be able to afford tuition to study at AUP. I hope more donors assist students with scholarships and give them this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I would thank the person who funded my scholarship and tell that person that I hope one day to give a helping hand to someone else in the same way. I would also say that without this help I would not have been able to receive education in one of the most unique institutions in the world. Donors should know that there are many deserving students who need their help and that the people who they lift up today will in turn lift up other people tomorrow.