Their mean age is 19, which is less than the number of awards and honors they’ve cumulatively earned. They are Chavdar, Vasilena, and Peter, and all three have done their part to place Bulgaria on the world’s mathematics map, representing their country in some of the most prestigious competitions and programs worldwide such as the Research Science Institute, held at MIT.
At 22, Peter already has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cambridge and currently works in finance. In his spare time, he mentors younger Bulgarians with a passion for science. Although she’s aced every math and informatics test she’s taken, Vasilena, a high school junior, plans to study medicine and work on her piano technique, and because he loves pure math, high school senior Chavdar is gearing up to become a research mathematician.
None of them is comfortable about labels such as “whizz kid” and “genius,” and all three view their accomplishments in terms of the myriad opportunities to work with like-minded individuals and all the friendships they have made along the way. Their recipe for success is: work hard and find people who share your enthusiasm.
This is exactly what the Student Institute of Mathematics and Informatics has enabled them to do. Part community and part academy, the institute gives talented high schoolers from across the country the opportunity to work on innovative math and engineering projects, in groups and individually, under the mentorship of university professors and experienced researchers. The program’s greater value, however, is in fostering lifelong connections between young scientists and creating a community of individuals who work for the benefit of their country throughout their lives.
Recognizing the institute’s role in cultivating Bulgaria’s next generation of scientists, the America for Bulgaria Foundation has supported the institute’s activities since 2010.
At the third annual meeting of the ABF community on January 30, institute alumni Vasilena, Chavdar, and Peter discussed the beauty of math, proved how interesting mathematicians can be, and rhymed about math and love.
Предлагат се: стихотворство и уроци по математика / Need Help with Love or Math? Ask a Mathematician from America For Bulgaria Foundation on Vimeo.
From left to right: Peter, Vasilena, and Chavdar
