Victoria Ivanova
“Don’t limit yourself”. This is what Victoria Ivanova would tell the world if she had a speaker that can be heard worldwide and only a few seconds to talk.
When she was younger, Victoria was a very artsy girl — she loved singing and crafting. Back in Ruse, she would go to singing lessons to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. She engaged in several other extracurricular activities.
However, to everyone’s shock, she suddenly gave up.
“I was a really shy child. I used to hold myself back from everything.”
In time, things changed. Perhaps one of the most dramatic events in her life was when her sister Monica left for the United States three years ago. Victoria and Monica are like peanut butter and jelly — very different, yet perfect together. Monica is outgoing and likes to try out new things, whereas Victoria prefers to plan ahead and stay within her comfort zone. They used to spend a lot of time together, so not seeing her sister for three years has been a big challenge for Victoria. However, she is looking forward to seeing her in the summer on Work and Travel.
Inspired by her sister’s bravery and an inner desire for a new beginning, one day Victoria decided that she had to make a change.
“I managed to overcome this shyness and this fear of mine that was actually just in my head.”
She wants to challenge herself more and coming to AUBG was the first step. She is currently taking some politics and journalism classes which she finds very interesting. She realizes that you need confidence to work in these fields, so she is working on building her own. In the future, she wants to give public speaking a try and perhaps join the AUBG Female Folklore Ensemble Svetlina or the Brodway Performance Club to go back to singing as a hobby. For now, she wants to join a club that would help her build some professional skills.
“I always try to follow that the best things in life don’t come from the comfort zone. If I want to develop as a person, I have to challenge myself.”
Victoria doesn’t want to have a huge business or become famous. To her, the meaning of life is the relationships you build, and she wants to leave a positive mark in her loved ones’ lives. Or maybe even the world? She shared some of her secret dreams, such as writing a book and creating an environmental organization.
“Don’t limit yourself with the care that you give to other people. Don’t limit yourself from achieving your dreams. If you want something and work hard enough, you can get it.”
