Kristiyan Sotirov
One of the most common places you can find Kristiyan Sotirov would be the gym at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG). There, he feels at home, pushing his body to higher limits. He strongly believes in the saying “No pain, no gain”, which is why he has made that his life’s motto.
A key aspect of 19-year old Kristiyan’s life is fitness, which he started more than two years ago:
“One day, I just decided that I want to be better than my current self. I want something more.”
Kristiyan believes that the biggest challenge in his life is himself.
“I am guilty for all of my mistakes and that is why I learn from them and try to be better.”
This way of thinking translates into his daily life at the American University in Bulgaria.
Kristiyan is originally from Sofia, but is currently living on campus at AUBG where he is a first-year student and is planning to major in Business Administration and Journalism and Mass Communication.
When not on campus, Kristiyan lives with his family, his parents and grandparents. He is very close to them and said that
“If anything were to happen to them, it would be a very big hit for me.”
He fondly remembers late-night walks with his father, going to the store to buy snacks as part of a tradition they came up with.
His strongest inspirations are his parents, who have been an example for Kristiyan when it comes to perseverance and hard work.
“When I was little, we didn’t have a lot of money. My parents worked hard to get where they are right now, and they did it by themselves.”
Kristiyan says that their ability to resist the pressure around them and push on through is what has inspired him to chase his dreams, no matter how difficult they may seem. He dreams of having something akin to the American dream — a family, a house and a car somewhere abroad.
The inspiration from his parents is what made him apply for AUBG, when a friend of his father had mentioned it to them.
“When I received the acceptance letter, it was like winning at a competition. It was very big for me and I was really happy”
Now that he is here, he hopes to study harder, party just as hard, meet new people and experience the life of an AUBG student to the fullest in the coming semesters. He admits that the current conditions are not ideal, but are necessary.
“I understand the masks are important and necessary. I am not in a hurry to complain about it, but it definitely alters the whole experience.”
For the upcoming semester, Kristiyan has high hopes to experience even more of what AUBG has to offer. His advice to his fellow students is to try and maintain a balance between studying and taking care of yourself. He believes that life is about balance and if you study a lot, you should allow yourself to enjoy life and party a little.
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The article and interview are property of Bogomil Yordanov, a Journalism and Mass Communication and Business Administration student at the American University in Bulgaria.
