Ideas, Impact, Innovation: The Paths of BEST Alumni in the Field of Technology
Once a BESTie, always a BESTie, as our Executive Director has said numerous times.
Participation in BEST has proven to leave a long-lasting impact on all, whether they were a participant, a judge, a member of the management team or part of the Board of Directors . Today we have the absolute pleasure to share the inspiring stories of three alumni, who all happen to have a career in the field of technology.
BEST: The Place Where Intellectuals Find Their Voice
The first interviewee is a beloved long-time community member - Bozhidar Klouchek, who is a research engineer based in Manchester, part of a cause that strives to aid the exact field that was targeted in our last article - medical professionals. Bozhidar has contributed to the BEST community in every possible way. Read below on how BEST impacted his path and pushed him to develop an automatic spelling and grammatical validation software tool.
1. Tell us briefly about yourself, your career or professional journey and your history with BEST.
Hiya! My name is Bozhidar Klouchek (Bozho) and I'm from our very own sea capital: Varna (even though I can't swim), but I've been living in Manchester, UK for about 5-6 years now. BEST has been with me all throughout both my academic and professional journeys as I've had the pleasure of being involved since 2017. Within BEST, I've been a participant, student leader (back then we'd call them student ambassadors!), MT member, judge, summer camp facilitator and everything in-between! Present day, I work as a research engineer in a medical AI start-up here in England, where we try to help doctors, pharmaceutical representatives and university students with rapid advancements in healthcare.
2. How has your participation in BEST contributed to your professional development/career?
In so many ways! Probably the first thing that comes to mind is my work in BEST as a Translation Coordinator back in 2019/2020. I was in charge of handling Bulgarian/English translations for press messages, social media posts and such: which opened my eyes to the need for Bulgarian automatic spelling and grammatical validation software tools. This laid the groundwork for my final year university project - Slovcho, an automatic spell and grammar checker (think of it like Grammarly, but for Bulgarian!); whilst I never planned to release the app externally, all the research I did was motivated initially by my work in BEST and fuelled me to write up my findings and publish them as an academic paper two years ago at ICNLSP as part of ACL (Association for Computational Linguistics).
3. What valuable skills have you gained throughout your time in BEST?
I think it's impossible to do this question justice - as I think it helped me so much in my formative years. If I had to pick one: I'd say it taught me how to present my ideas with confidence. It's such a core skill one needs to succeed in any setting, but I still remember how anxious I'd get whenever I had to as much as share a high school presentation before... BEST pushed me to learn not only how to speak effectively, but how to communicate with purpose.
4. Has participation in BEST helped you discover causes, issues, or values that you're now committed to in your career?
Definitely. I already mentioned how my time as a translator in BEST motivated my passion project but it also spoke to a larger need for more accessible online Bulgarian data. In my career I have produced several collections of free Bulgarian linguistics resources; my personal favourite being when I tried to collect all Bulgarian words to form a comprehensive dictionary (try to guess how many words I got in the end). Datasets like this are crucial not only for academic researchers to push the boundaries of what’s currently possible, but also for us to keep our beautiful language alive and watch it evolve.
5. What advice would you give to anyone considering getting involved with BEST, whether as a participant, management team member or even a sponsor?
Do it now!!! There's so much to do, so many people to meet and so many opportunities to take a hold of! From bettering your English, to making new friends and from gaining valuable work experience to developing your professional portfolio: I can think of a million reasons why one can benefit from BEST. The selling point for me is that at the end of the day BEST is labour of love, and I find that the people who are happiest with their life aren't the ones with the most achievements on paper, but the ones that speak about their achievements with passion and gratitude.
From Growth in BEST to a Career of Impact
The second interviewee is Petar Donchev. Petar has contributed to BEST’s development in numerous ways. From taking on the roles of a student leader, a coach and a judge to representing the foundation as a whole as its Assistant Director. Read on to find out more about how BEST was a constant presence in his career journey and how it allowed him to develop critical thinking skills, which he relies on to this very day.
Petar Donchev leading a workshop on the topic of “Public Speaking at Work: Strategies for Effective Communication”
1. Tell us briefly about yourself, your career or professional journey and your history with BEST.
I am currently a Project Manager at FactSet. I have been involved with BEST since its early days in 2012 or 2013, when I first participated as a 10th grader in Original Oratory. Since then, I’ve taken on a wide range of roles within the organization - including student leader, coach, judge, management team member, and assistant director. BEST has been a constant presence in my life for over a decade.
2. How has your participation in BEST contributed to your professional development/career?
BEST provided me with early, hands-on experience across a variety of roles, allowing me to develop practical skills well before entering the job market. It also introduced me to partner organizations, such as the Bulgarian Debate Association and Teach for Bulgaria, where I later had the opportunity to work and develop further. As I transitioned into a corporate environment, I continued to build on this foundation, including receiving support from Fulbright through their Project Management Professional (PMP) training courses.
3. What valuable skills have you gained throughout your time in BEST?
Through Original Oratory, I developed strong persuasion and public speaking skills. Participating in World Schools Debate helped me learn how to construct well-reasoned arguments and think critically. My experience as a logistics coordinator strengthened my event planning abilities, while my time as assistant director helped me build team management skills. These are all competencies I actively rely on in my career today, and I’m grateful to have developed them early on in a supportive environment.
Petar Donchev with two of his colleagues from FactSet at a career event recently held in the Faculty of Economics of Sofia University.
4. Has participation in BEST helped you discover causes, issues, or values that you’re now committed to in your career?
One of the most important values I’ve carried forward is critical thinking - especially in an age of widespread misinformation. Through debate and oratory, I learned how to build strong arguments, evaluate multiple perspectives, and identify logical fallacies. These skills are often overlooked in everyday and professional contexts, yet they are essential. In my work, I make a conscious effort to support my ideas with reliable evidence and encourage my colleagues to challenge assumptions, consider alternative viewpoints, and make informed decisions.
5. What advice would you give to anyone considering getting involved with BEST, whether as a participant, management team member or even a sponsor?
As cliché as it may sound, follow your passion. Forcing yourself to engage in something you’re not genuinely interested in is not only unsustainable, but also noticeable to others. Choose speech topics you truly care about, and support organizations that align with your values. When you are authentic in what you do, both fulfilment and success tend to follow naturally.
The BEST Effect - From Uncertainty to Drive and Ambition
The third interviewee is long-term member of our community - Samuil Mladenov. He has showcased immense growth from an ambitionless student to a responsible and dedicated Data Scientist and student of Computer Science. Read below to find out more on how he changed by gaining skills and insights from BEST, which he used to prosper in his personal and professional life.
1. Tell us briefly about yourself, your career or professional journey, and your history with BEST.
I am an undergraduate student at the American University in Bulgaria, majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Economics. I will soon continue my academic journey in Medical Informatics at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, one of the top medical universities in Europe. Professionally, I work as a Data Scientist.
My journey with BEST began as a participant in the Poetry and Duo categories for three years, two of which I also served as a Student Leader. I later transitioned into volunteering within the organization, starting as a Student Leader Intern, then becoming a Tournament Administrator, and ultimately serving as a Project Manager. Each step allowed me to grow both personally and professionally.
2. How has your participation in BEST contributed to your professional development/career?
BEST played a transformative role in my personal and professional development. Before joining, I lacked direction and ambition, and I wasn’t performing well academically. However, my experience in BEST sparked a significant change in me. My mother often says that I came back as a completely different person, with a newfound drive and purpose.
From that point on, I began setting goals, planning more effectively, and excelling academically, which ultimately led me to being accepted into a great university. My involvement in BEST also helped me secure a place in The HUB AUBG, a student organization I aspired to join, where I later became President. This journey eventually opened the door to a position at a Big Four company. In many ways, BEST was the starting point of a powerful snowball effect that shaped my career.
3. What valuable skills have you gained throughout your time in BEST?
Through BEST, I developed a wide range of valuable skills. One of the most impactful things was learning how to connect and communicate with people, something that has benefited me throughout high school, university, and my professional life.
I also gained a deep understanding of leadership - what it truly means to guide, support, and inspire others. This helped me grow into a mentor and an effective leader in student organizations and beyond. Additionally, BEST taught me professionalism - how to take responsibility, work in teams, and deliver results - skills that have been crucial in securing jobs and contributing meaningfully in the workplace.
4. Has participation in BEST helped you discover causes, issues, or values that you’re now committed to in your career?
While BEST didn’t necessarily introduce me to a specific external cause, the organization itself became a cause I deeply believe in. It showed me the importance of investing in people, supporting growth, and creating opportunities for others. More importantly, BEST taught me how to approach causes, values, and issues that I care about - with dedication, responsibility, and genuine passion. It shaped my mindset toward contributing meaningfully to the communities and initiatives I am part of.
5. What advice would you give to anyone considering getting involved with BEST?
Getting involved in BEST means surrounding yourself with incredible people who will genuinely change your life for the better. They will ignite a spark in you, support you in ways you didn’t know were possible, and stand by you through every challenge. These are the people who will cheer for you the loudest, believe in you when you doubt yourself, and push you to grow. Once you experience that kind of environment, the voices of doubt in your head simply don’t stand a chance.