Iva Ichevska
Persistent, stubborn, and creative — this is how Iva Ichevska would describe herself. A perfectionist and introvert, but with a clear goal — to succeed in life and find what makes her happy and her loved ones proud.
Iva is a 19-year-old student beginning her ride on the “rollercoaster” of life at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG). Although she had no high expectations about her performance in the contest, she enrolled in the MultiTalent Quest at AUBG and secured first place.
“The opportunity this competition offers was what made me apply and I said to myself ‘Let me give it a try, you will never know what is going to happen,’” Iva remembers with a smile on her face.
In September 2024, she settled in Blagoevgrad, hoping that the university would foster all of her interests. A mathematician and musician by heart, with a passion for art and literature, Iva admits that she is torn between her choice of majors but believes that AUBG will give her the freedom to make the right one.
“I still hesitate, but I am wondering between three options: Mathematics, Economics or Computer Science,” Iva says.
Adjusting at first was not easy for her. Being away from home and the pressure of having new and unfamiliar encounters are still difficulties for her, but Iva is seizing every experience along the way with open arms.
“Getting prepared at school for university is like preparing for life — you cannot do it, because you will never know what lies ahead, but everyone has to find their approach,” she explains.
Iva overcomes obstacles thanks to the support of her family and friends. They give her the purpose of paving the road to her dreams. Her mother has been an inspiration for most of her endeavors now.
“My mother has always encouraged me to follow my interests and she was the one who signed me up as a kid for mathematical contests and thus, igniting my passion,” Iva smiles.
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Iva explains that mathematics and music are an inseparable part of her life, as much as they are inseparable from one another.
“Music is built up from mathematics, logically and structurally, and so in my life, they always go hand in hand,” Iva explains. As a person devoted to both art and science, Iva joined two student clubs — ARTistocracy and Polygon.
“So far, I really enjoy being a member of the clubs. We exchange ideas about future events and I am looking forward to launching all of them,” Iva says eagerly.
Iva loves listening to and playing music in her free time. She found her reality escape many years ago in the face of Korean music and culture. As she much enjoys traveling, it is Iva’s dream to visit the country one day.
Not only does Iva like to travel, but if she had a superpower, she would time travel.
“Curiosity might make me want to look into the future but knowing what is ahead, defeats the purpose of being in the present. However, I would love to go to the past,” she smiles.
If she had the opportunity to return to the past, this is the advice Iva would give her younger self:
“No matter how difficult things may look, there is always a solution even for the biggest problems,” she says.
Iva believes that all past obstacles happen for a reason and learning from them shapes a person’s character in the present. And what she does now, she hopes, brings her fulfillment for the foreseeable future.
“The desire to pursue my dreams, to make my family proud, and to feel happiness are what drives me forward,” Iva says.
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Spasiela Gizdova is a student at the American University in Bulgaria, double majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication and Psychology. Spasiela enjoys listening to people’s stories and she is fascinated by her subject’s wide spectrum of interests.
