site.btaBulgarian Engineer Dedicates Herself to Teaching Bulgarian to Bilingual Children in Scotland

The Bulgarian Cultural and Educational Centre in Scotland has nominated Mariana Ilcheva-Dimitrova from Edinburgh for the Saint Zlata of Meglen Award in 2025, the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad (EABA) said. The agency emphasized that Dimitrova has been the head teacher at the Bulgarian School in Edinburgh since 2017 and has been dedicating herself to teaching Bulgarian and preserving national identity among bilingual children in Scotland, even though she is an engineer by education.

"Through her work and partnerships with the Education and Science Ministry and the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad, universities and schools in Bulgaria, Dimitrova maintains a living connection between the homeland and our communities abroad. She is a teacher, inspirer and guardian of the Bulgarian language and spirit for dozens of children and families in Scotland," the EABA pointed out.

On October 15, the EABA will present its annual Bulgarian Woman of the Year – Saint Zlata of Meglen Award. Twenty nominations have been received from 11 countries. BTA will present the nominees in a series of articles.