Boyana Kostadinova: “Graphics design is not only about drawing, it’s about benefiting people.”
A bright red sweater, long hair curls and a bright smile contrast against the pale beige walls of the Skaptopara I dorm room. This is the sight when Boyana Kostadinova enters the Zoom call.
Boyana, or Bobi, as she likes to be called, is a freshman at AUBG from Plovdiv, Bulgaria. When sharing about herself, she explains that her goals are rooted in her deep love and appreciation of art.
“I really want to use art in my life and in my job as a way to express myself. A goal of mine was to combine art with my communication with people. And now that I am here in university, I feel encouraged because I saw that my goal is possible.”
Her relationship with art stems back to her childhood when she wrote short poems for fun. “They are funny now because all I was concentrated on was rhyming, but this was my first encounter with art,” she laughs nervously, the sound echoing in the beige room.
Art remained a part of Bobi’s daily life, as she studied graphic design in her high school until her graduation last year.
Now she hopes to graduate AUBG with a JMC major, the natural continuation to her high school studies. As she is talking about graphic design, her eyes start wandering dreamingly across the plain walls.
“Graphics design is not only about drawing, it’s about benefiting people.”
Bobi’s desire to benefit people through her art is complemented by her love of being an active member of her community. And even though COVID-19 changed the AUBG campus even before she had arrived in the university, she still manages to socialize with her peers.
“As a freshman, I was scared I wouldn’t find friends so easily, especially with the whole pandemic situation, but I managed to meet people in clubs and classes. It is amazing how AUBG collected people that are so open to interact.”
During a pandemic, when social distancing pushed people to experiment with new hobbies and activities, Bobi has been keeping busy learning more about hand lettering, the art of creating decorative letters.
When reflecting on the pandemic, Bobi shares what she would do the moment she is not restricted by the global situation:
“I would go visit grandma. I would stay a month or even two months with her.”
In contrast with the uninviting beige walls of the Skaptopara I dorm, a warm and hopeful smile appears on Bobi’s face as she gives her advice to future students during the pandemic:
“Be brave and text the people you find interesting. Be brave and approach people.”
Leo Vacavliev is a videographer and auteur. Since his recent transition to written stories, he has written more than ten articles, all to critical acclaim.
