HISTORY
How BEST Started
BEST was born out of the spirit of Bulgarian and American partnership, a belief in the power of cross-cultural exchange, and the values of curiosity, open-mindedness, and self-improvement.
Originally named “the Bulgarian Forensics League” (BFL), BEST was co-founded by six Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) to Bulgaria - Hannah Allen, Michael Deegan, Athena Lao, Tatiana Rostovtseva, Claire Sagstuen, Juliana Wilhoit - who were attending their Fulbright ETA Midyear Conference in December 2012 and were reflecting on ways they could help their students feel more confident speaking in English and meet other Bulgarian teens studying English they might not meet otherwise. The group won a grant to host an English-language speech and debate tournament in Spring 2013.
The group had intended for the tournament to be a one-time event. However, students asked, “When’s the next one?” The group knew this was a call to action. They won a yearlong grant to pilot more tournaments over 2013-2014 and brought on Roumyana Mihaylova, a Bulgarian Fulbright alumna, as BFL’s first Managing Director. BFL’s reach grew, and BFL eventually became the BEST (Bulgarian English Speech and Debate Tournaments) Foundation. Fulbright ETAs Sarah Craycraft, Alex Kieselstein, and Tzvetelina Nikolova came on board as part of BEST’s first Management Team.
Now, BEST is one of the largest youth-oriented civic organizations in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe. We reach more than 1,000 high school students each year through our speech and debate tournaments and Student Leaders Program. Not only have we sent Bulgarian students to international speech and debate competitions, but we also host the Balkan Voices International Oratory competition, which brings students from across the Balkans to Bulgaria. Most importantly, we are proud to give young people a platform for intelligent debate and creative expression and help them develop the critical thinking skills, creativity, confidence, and leadership abilities they will need long after they have participated in BEST.
Years
Tournaments
Teams
Student Leaders
Coaches & Judges
Competitors
Highlights from BEST’s History
April 2013
BFL holds its first English-language speech and debate tournament at American University in Bulgaria, featuring six high schools from across the country and approximately 100 participants.
July 2013
BFL is awarded a U.S. State Department grant from the Alumni Innovation Engagement Fund, which allows us to expand our activities and triple our reach over the following academic year. Roumyana Mihaylova becomes BFL’s Managing Director.
April 2014
BFL changes its name to the BEST (Bulgarian English Speech and Debate Tournaments) Foundation and becomes a registered non-profit.
May 2014
BEST qualifies and funds three Bulgarian high school students to compete at an international speech competition - the 2014 US National Speech and Debate Association National Finals in Kansas.
August 2014
BEST starts the Student Ambassadors Program to provide year-long mentorship to 30 “BESTies” selected by their coaches for leadership potential.
August 2015
With generous funding from the Bulgarian Fulbright Commission and America for Bulgaria Foundation, BEST initiates the “BEST Fulbright Fellowship.” This gives one second-year Fulbright ETA the opportunity to help lead BEST. Anna Fuselier was the first to hold this role.
BEST also starts a Management Team internship program to provide professional experience to Bulgarian high school and college students.
August 2016
BEST hires its first full-time Executive Director, Dena Popova.
Spring 2016
For the first time in history, BEST collaborates with the Bulgarian Debate Association to organize a delegation of Bulgarian high school debaters to compete at the Heart of Europe International Debate Tournament in Olomouc, Czech Republic.
April 2018
BEST organizes the first-ever Balkan Voices International Oratory tournament, bringing together students from across the Balkans at the American University in Bulgaria.
August 2018
Lazar Lazarov becomes the first BEST alumnus to serve as the Executive Director of the organization.
August 2019
BEST revamps the Student Ambassadors Program, renaming it the “Student Leader” program and turning it into a full-year project management curriculum.
May 2020
Lina Jarad is named as BEST’s third Executive Director. The BEST team adjusts to COVID-19 restrictions and holds all of its tournaments in academic year 2020-2021 online.
April 2021
Boris Busov becomes the first Bulgarian-American to serve as Chair of BEST’s Board of Directors and BEST plans a creative Summer Camp for students to develop critical thinking, public speaking, and self expression.
September 2022
Vanya Zlateva is elected as 4th Executive Director; tournaments return to in-person participation with growing participation after a long period of online held events.
2023
BEST Foundation celebrates its 10th anniversary, marked by a decade of growth. Our students participated in 2 international and 6 in-person tournaments, fostering a community dedicated to development. The foundation organized a successful 3rd Summer Camp in Bankya, and was awarded Fulbright's Alumni Impact Award at their anniversary Gala. The foundation also established a fruitful two-year partnership with America for Bulgaria.