Annual Giving Report 2019-2020

THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SOFIA ANNUAL GIVING REPORT 2019-2020

ACCREDITED BY The American College of Sofia (ACS) integrates the va- lues and best practices of American pedagogy with the rich educational traditions of Bulgaria and Europe. We seek to develop critical thinking, lifelong intellectual curiosity, leadership, and collaboration among multi-talented students of various social, cultural, economic, and geographical backgrounds.

The American College of Sofia provides an outstanding private education to 903 Bulgarian and international students. Accredited by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), ACS offers a rigorous academic program and an impressive variety of extra-curricular activities.

The American College of Sofia is operated and funded by Sofia American Schools, Inc. (SAS), a non-profit, educational corporation chartered in 1926 in the United States by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 873, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

The American College of Sofia Dr. Richard T. Ewing, Jr., President Maria Angelova, Deputy Director

Tel: (359-2) 434-1008 (359-2) 434-1010 Fax: (359-2) 434-1009 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.acs.bg GIVING REPORT 2019-2020

CONTENTS

A Word from Jon Clayton...... 4 Message from the President...... 5 A Challenging, Unprecedented, Successful Year...... 6 Special Gifts...... 7 Annual Fund...... 9 Gift of Security...... 10 Alumni Impact ...... 12 Parent-Teacher Association...... 14 Student Activities Fund...... 15 Student Achievements...... 16 Class of 2020...... 23 External Programs...... 24 List of Donors...... 25 ACS Board of Trustees...... 27 ACS Leadership...... 27 Development Team...... 27

3 Greetings!

I am writing this letter to you on the last day of my time as Chair of the ACS Board of Trustees. Tomorrow, Theo- dora Konetsovska, ACS class of 1997, will become Chair. On the surface this is a landmark for the institution on so many fronts: the first graduate of the school to lead the trustees, the first Bulgarian-American, the first woman, a representative of the “first” class, and so on. But that list doesn’t capture what is most important to me. Theodora is passionate about ACS, deeply thoughtful about what makes it great and how it can be even better, and full of energy and contagious enthusiasm about the future. She will be a wonderful leader.

I have a few parting thoughts to pass on as part of this report, both on my behalf and that of my late father, James E. Clayton, who served as chair in the early years after reopening and as a trustee until his passing three years ago. When ACS was reopened the goal was to build a school that blends American pedagogy with Bulgaria’s rich educational history and would be the most academically rigorous secondary school in the country, preparing its students to attend the most challenging English language universities around the world. It is a measure of how successful ACS has been in the 28 years since reopening that ACS now carefully manages its program to be academically rigorous both inside and outside the classroom (through initiatives like the European Court of Human Rights Mock Trial, Junior Achievement Bulgaria and the International Student Science Forum).

The trustees have always viewed our commitment to an “American” style of education to include not just how students are instructed, but how they are admitted and how the operation of the school is financed. A great school is expensive to operate, and ACS is. It has to attract and retain great teachers and provide great fa- cilities to support the faculty and students in their shared educational efforts. A good school cannot be great if only students who can afford the cost of education attend, and so ACS offers scholarships to families that cannot afford the tuition. This is so fundamental to our mission that many of our donors, including the largest donors and many others, give to support these scholarship awards.

Supporting scholarships is a great reason to donate to ACS, but it’s not the only reason. In fact, all the money my family has given to ACS in the last few years in honor of my father has been “unrestricted”, meaning it can be used to cover expenses that tuition does not. These expenses can be operating expenses or capital expenses. For example, as Dr. Ewing points out in his letter, the government of the United States, through its American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) agency, has given ACS a grant of over $700,000 for renovations to Abbott Hall. These renovations are desperately needed. But the ASHA grant does not cover the full cost, so the remainder will require some hard decisions on our operations. Unless, of course, we receive donations that are unrestricted or directed towards the cost of the project!

Let me close with two requests. The first is of course to donate to ACS. The second is to help spread awareness in Bulgaria that scholarships are available at ACS for families that can’t afford the full tuition. Even in the United States, many families don’t realize that scholarships would make it possible for their kids to attend great schools that seem too expensive, and so it’s not a surprise that building awareness in Bulgaria is a problem. Thank you for helping us spread this information widely, and for your support of ACS!

Regards,

Jon Clayton

4 Dear Friends, We can all take pride in ACS’s determination and spirit in this age of the pandemic. From our prep class to our alumni, from faculty and staff to trustees, from current parents to long- time friends of the College, the work of our community has been remarkable in response to unprecedented challenges. This Annual Report provides perspectives on that response, celebrating what our graduates, students, and community have achieved in the 2019-20 school year and looking forward into the future. As you know, our campus was closed most of the second semester because of the pandemic, as were schools around the world. Thanks to the leadership and hard work of our faculty, staff, and students, we transitioned successfully to distance learning last spring and successfully implemented a blended learning program (in person as well as online) for the new school year in September. It has been gratifying to see the great resilience, intelligence, and creativity evident throughout our community. Commencement is always a highlight of any year, espe- cially so this past year, as we were able to hold this special ceremony in person at ACS on a beautiful day in late June. Our newest alumni, the ACS Class of 2020 are an impressive group of young people, already accomplished in so many areas: science and technology, the performing arts, mathematics, the humanities, sports, oratory and debate, civic and social life. Their academic records at ACS were truly exceptional, and their overall achievements emblematic of accomplishments and performances by students throughout ACS. Those of us who become educators do so with hope of guiding and inspiring young people. Then so often we find that it is young people who inspire us. Such is the case with our ACS students: they have not let the pandemic keep them from pursuing their hopes, dreams, and plans for the future. All of our students deserve congratulations for their determination and persistence throughout last year and the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. And I am delighted to report that the group that has now entered our school as the Class of 2025 ensures the continuing strength and vitality of our student body. Our students in turn continue to be impressed and inspired by the dedication and enthusiasm of ACS teachers and mentors. We owe our faculty and staff a great debt of gratitude for the extraordinary contributions they make as a diverse, talented, creative, and energetic group of men and women committed to the education of young people. Together ACS faculty and staff have created and implemented a plan to combine in-person and online classes while working together with students to create a safe environment on campus. The institutional and philanthropic leadership of our dedicated Board of Trustees is vital to the ongoing success of the College. In particular, I want to salute outgoing Chair, Jon Clayton, for his great stewardship and leadership by example in supporting ACS and promoting its mission and work. Thankfully, we will continue work on the Board, sustaining the unique legacy of the Clayton/Black family at ACS that dates back to the 1920s and the legendary leadership of President Floyd Black. And our community joins in celebrating the election of ACS alumna Theodora Konetsovska ’97 as the new Board Chair. An enormously talented and accomplished professional in finance and a former senior finance administrator at Harvard University, Theodora is the first graduate of the school, the first Bulgarian-American, and the first woman to lead the ACS Board. She brings an abiding love for and dedication to the College as well as exceptional expertise and talent to this critical leadership role. Finally, I want to acknowledge the time, talent, and generous donations, grants, and recurring gifts in support of teaching and learning, special projects, and financial aid that we receive from parents, alumni, and other members of our community. This past year in response to the pandemic, we had an outpouring of giving in support of our financial aid program, so important to providing deserving students the opportunity to study at ACS regardless of their parents’ ability to pay tuition fees. In addition, earlier this year ASHA (American Schools and Hospitals Abroad, a division of USAID) awarded ACS a grant for $720,000 for the renovation of Abbott Hall, the largest single grant ACS has ever received from this funding organization. We look forward to reporting on implementation plans for this important and exciting campus project. Even as we all confront immediate and pressing challenges in response to the pandemic, we believe it is now more important than ever to invest in our collective future through the ongoing education of young people. We firmly believe that such investments will reap great benefits for our increasingly interconnected, world community in the years and decades ahead. I thank you all for your faithful support.

Sincerely,

Richard T. Ewing, Jr. Ed.D. President

5 A CHALLENGING, UNPRECEDENTED, SUCCESSFUL YEAR

ACS’s operational budget for the 2019-2020 school year

Total expenses: 12,425,370 leva

salaries, benefits, compensation education, labs, textbooks financial aid campus maintenance and improvements

In a year of unprecedented challenges, we had a year of unprecedented accomplishment. Calamity not only didn’t weaken us, it made us stronger. Record giving was achieved under the direst of circumstances.

It seemed that our external programs would remain blocked by lockdown and social distancing, but we moved many of our courses online, and found a way to have a successful summer school.

Due to health and safety mandates to battle the pandemic, we had to cancel our single largest fundraising and community-outreach event, Arts Fest. But we more than made up for that unfortunate circumstance later in the summer of 2020.

In the brightest example of the year, the Gift of Security campaign of July-August, our community came together to help its own, the families of current students who would need financial assistance because of the economic downturn. The campaign overshot its goal by 30%.

2019-2020 also saw a rise in employer matching through a variety of arrangements.

Not only generosity, but creativity came in aid of turning the tables on the pandemic-related crises. An alumna/trustee held a birthday fundraiser on Facebook. An alumnus/entrepreneur enlisted his corporate employer in philanthropic giving to the College. Parents donated their PTA membership fees to student activities.

Thank you all who contributed!

6 SPECIAL GIFTS

Gifts over 10,000 leva

Frank Bauer Samuel Seymour Jon Clayton Tianaderrah Foundation Gipson Family Foundation William J. Williams

In November 2019, our great friend Robert Gipson was honored by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev with the award “Largest Individual Philanthropist for 2019”. The award commemorated decades of philanthropic work by Robert and Nellie Gipson in support of education, culture and the development of the potential of youth in Bulgaria.

Nellie Gipson is a trustee of the American College of Sofia. The Gipson’s family foundation, Tianaderrah, supports four full scholarship at ACS. In addition, in the 2019-2020 school year Nellie and Robert Gipson provided funds for the purchase of 23 computer workstations with professional graphics cards and 4K monitors giving our students the ability to run industry standard graphics, 3D, CAD and video editing software. And the Gipson Family Library, established in 2018, has become a cornerstone of ACS education: a home of learning, community gatherings, student activities, and even after-class board game tournaments.

Nellie and Robert Gipson’s tireless and inspirational philanthropy has already transformed the lives of a generation of ACS graduates, as well as affected the advancement of culture and education in Bulgaria, and the legacy of Bulgarian-American relations.

Gifts of 10,000 – 5,000 leva

Anonymous Nedko Kyuchukov Valerie Brackett & Nikolaos Monoyios Georgi Prohasky Bright Funds Foundation Charles Ries Karen Collias Svilen Spasov John Dougherty Sun Capital Partners Ann S. Ferren Temcov Foundation Goldman Sachs Stanislav Tsanev Theodora Konetsovska Lisa Wiersma

Spotlight on:

Teodora and Darina Spasov Scholarship Dr. Svilen Spasov is a notable member of the ACS community, founder of the Teodora and Darina Spasov Scholarship, the first scholarship at ACS by a Bulgarian citizen, named after his daughters who graduated from ACS with the classes of 2004 and 2005 respectively. The scholarship was established in 2005 with the goal of supporting the girl in every class who has the most financial need and maintains a GPA of minimum 5.00 and exemplary conduct throughout her course of study. To date, the Spasovi family has donated over 80,000 BGN in support of the education of ACS students. Dr. Spasov said, “There are many examples in Bulgaria’s history of helping talented but financially challenged young people. At the time of Teodora and Darina’s education, coincidentally, we had difficulty paying the tuition and they too felt the family’s struggle. For this reason right after their graduation I decided to start this scholarship for a girl in the strongest need and with good scores at school. It bears the name of our daughters and in due time will be taken over by them.”

7 MAJOR GRANT AND THE NEXT BIG THING

The school year was full of challenges for the American College of Sofia, but it provided opportunities as well. We are pleased to announce that our school was awarded a grant from American Schools and Hospitals Abroad, a division of USAID, for the complete renovation of one of our iconic school buildings, Abbott Hall, now close to its centennial anniversary.

The amount of the award is $721,160 and is a testament to the unique model of education at ACS, the public outreach activities and the commitment of the school that any student who qualifies for admittance accor- ding to the entrance exam should be given the opportunity to study at ACS.

Abbott Hall in 1928 Abbott Hall, 92 years later

The award is also an indication of the high standards of the financial and operational procedures at ACS. US- AID is the world’s premier international development agency which supports only organizations that meet the highest standards of accountability and financial governance.

The grant would cover most of the construction expenses but it comes with the condition of substantial financial matching on behalf of the American College of Sofia. Our school has to leverage funds of $327,800 in addition to the award. Renovation activities of the building will start in April 2022, and will continue throughout that summer, as not to interrupt the educational experience of our students.

We are reaching out to our community with a kind request for financial support for this transformational project. We are seeking donations of any amount to complete the renovation of this historic school building and contribute to the educational experience of the next generations of students at ACS.

8 ANNUAL FUND

The Annual Fund is the part of the operating budget that allows us to plan for the unexpected. Student activities, trips, and participation fees, faculty training and development, campus improvements and maintenance – all the little (or not), great (or not) surprises that our dynamic learning environment throws at us throughout the year, depend on the Annual Fund.

Via the Annual Fund you directly enrich every area of student life at the American College of Sofia.

In 2019-2020, the combined contributions of alumni, trustees, parents, and friends, which made our Annual Fund, amounted to 88,049.51 leva.

The impact of your gift is felt in every classroom, every day.

Thank you!

9 GIFT OF SECURITY

As the COVID-19 crisis engulfed the world in March and April, economic uncertainty and health restrictions led to recession. Small and family businesses got decimated. For us at ACS, this indicated potential rise in financial aid applications for 2020-21. In March, trustee Karen Collias gave 10,000 leva for financial aid. “A strong sense of community is one of the best things about ACS. It is important to maintain and strengthen the ACS community, ensuring that all of its members - students, parents, faculty, and staff - are able to navigate successfully through the Novel Coronavirus crisis. The ACS administration and staff have designed and implemented an excellent online curriculum to make sure all students remain connected and continue their education.” “I am an ACS trustee and member of the Education Committee. I decided to step in and help with a donation because to keep our community strong, we must consider all of its members. For now, it is crucial that we make sure we consider the immediate needs of all members of the ACS community, with a special concern that no member of our community is left out because of financial stress brought about by this pandemic.” Karen Collias

By June, the ACS Development Office determined that 65,000 leva was needed to reach the previous year’s giving level. That was the origin of the Gift of Security campaign, aimed at collecting money for financial aid to support the ACS families hurt by the economic downturn. We appealed to various leaders throughout our community to join in the effort. President Ewing kicked off the campaign with a video message. Favorite teachers recorded impassioned testimonials about wanting to see their students back in the classroom without any money concerns.

Alumni and trustees gave in record numbers and amounts. Former teachers and current parents of ACS students gave too. Those who had given in the past typically raised the amount of their gift, and new givers joined for the first time. The word resounded around the world where members of our community keep our mission at heart. By the end of the day, August 31, we had received 86,324.37 leva. It is a record in our school’s history. This summer even the most far-flung members of this community rose to prove once again that the ACS family is strong and united. We can rely on each other, even in this time of dire economic crisis. On behalf of the families of current students, we humbly thank every donor in this campaign.

10 Here are some of the messages from teachers who joined the campaign:

Christian Youngs, Physics and Astronomy Teacher: Many families have been hit hard by the ongoing economic crisis as a result of the pandemic. One of the things I love about ACS is the community we have built with our students and their families. I absolutely love my students. And I want to make sure all of them have the opportunity to return to campus this fall. This gift of security will go a long way towards alleviating the burden on families who only want the best education for their children.

Raya Gigova, Sports Teacher: My students and I have unforgettable experiences on sports fields. We have incredible achievements in academics and sports. In my work with them I have always strived to teach them persistence, integrity and responsibility, which will bring them many successes in the life ahead. The “Tuition Reduction Program” has given many opportunities to ACS students to graduate and be a part of this community. I join this initiative, Gift of Security, which would give the same chance to others, and to future students at the College, to have the same opportunities in their lives.

Laurel Zmolek-Smith, ESL Teacher: One of the main reasons that I chose to come teach at this international school, above all others, is because of the students. The students have to work really hard and be very dedicated in order to be able to come to this institution. And they have to continue to do that to stay here. They are very motivated, and it makes this school truly a unique and amazing place. That’s why it is really important – now that we’re facing an economic crisis – to be able to keep money concerns at bay, so that the students who really deserve to be here can stay here. And so we can preserve the spirit of this institution and the mission of just being a place for rigorous learning and thinking.

Zornitsa Semkova, PhD, Chair of the Liberal and Fine Arts Department: As a department chair and IB coordinator I have a lot of administrative obligations, but the best time I have every single day is my time with my students. And many of them wouldn’t have been able to be at the American College of Sofia without the generous support of our sponsors and our scholarships.

Velislava Tsvetkova, ESL Teacher: As an ACS teacher I have had the privilege of working with some of the brightest kids in Bulgaria and helping them grow both academically and socially. Today, I would like to add my voice in support of one more ACS campaign that seeks to help students - in particular, students who have the academic ability but need a little bit of financial help to be able to achieve their potential. I know from personal experience that the generous contributions of the ACS community and donors have helped a lot of young intellect to flourish. Numerous ACS success stories have been born as many students have been given the life-changing opportunity to follow their dreams. I am absolutely certain that every contribution we as adults can make will be an act of kindness that will transform the future of some of our students.

11 THE ALUMNI IMPACT

ACS is a family and it is up to us to stay active owners of the school for as long as we want. Alumni can, and enthusiastically do, play a crucial role as ambassadors, mentors or fundraisers, and keep vital connections with current students as well as our unique and valuable network of friends.

Total gifts from alumni:51,309 leva

Number of alumni who gave: 124

Champion class with largest sum of donations: Class of 2004 with 11,346 leva and 10% participation rate.

Class with most participation: 2002 with 14%. Other classes over 10% participation: 1997, 2005, 2010.

Top 3 most popular giving categories:

57% unrestricted; 35% financial aid; 4% student activities

Spotlight on:

Regrettably, one of the events that had to be postponed due to the pandemic was the alumni reunion in the spring. It is traditionally one of the most fun things we’re looking forward to, not just the alumni, espe- cially those with anniversaries, but also their teachers who get to see their favorite students as grown-ups.

To join the community in spirit, the Classes of 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 held a fundraising challenge where the class with the twentieth anniversary aimed to collect 20 leva from each member, the class with the fifteenth anniversary 15 leva from each, the class celebrating their tenth anniversary 10 leva from each, and the one with fifth anniversary aimed to collect 5 leva from each member.

Most active was the Class of 2010. Led by the inimitable Georgi Klissurski, they added a Facebook photo mystery challenge where members of the class tried to guess the spot on campus from details of photos, and shared memories related to that spot.

Kudos to you, Class of 2010, and to everyone who participated! We are looking forward to welcoming you back on campus as early as possible!

12 ACS ALUMNI GATHERINGS IN USA

We always want to connect more with alumni, particularly those who live outside of Sofia. An initiative we have been discussing for quite a while came to pass in the beginning of 2020.

In January, ACS President Richard Ewing traveled to the US for a meeting of the Board of Trustees and to re- cruit new international faculty and staff. We decided that it was the right time to plan an alumni get-together.

The Board meeting took place in Wash- ington, D.C., and faculty recruiting was happening in Boston. We thought, New York City is right in the middle and there is a sizable ACS alumni population there.

As we started planning, we got a call from alumna and trustee Theodora Konetsovska ’97 who proposed to have another meeting in Cambridge, Mass. So we had two events.

The event in New York City took place at the Bulgarian Consulate. We are thankful for the gracious support of Consul Gen- eral Maya Hristova, herself the parent of an ACS alum.

About 30 alumni attended, ranging from early classes to recent graduates. There was quite a variety in the mix: profession- als working in finance, consulting and engineering, as well as recent graduates who were still in school.

At both events, President Ewing shared news from ACS, both recent developments regarding electronic learning and SCIFI, and our continuing commitment to emphasizing English-language fluency and high academic achievement which have been so important throughout the history of the school. He also appraised the participants of developing plans to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the school, and that the Board was initiating a strategic planning process where we would love to actively involve alumni.

The atmosphere at both events was great and we definitely want to continue these meetings in the years ahead, circumstances permitting.

13 PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION

2019-2020 has been an impressive year for the Parent-Teacher Association. The number of registered members doubled compared to 2018-2019, reaching 160+, with 24 parents actively contributing time and expertise as volunteers, mentors, or organizers of the various events initiated or aided by the PTA, the traditional Christmas Bazaar and the Student Activities Fund.

Elena Onbright, mother of 12th grader and PTA President: “It is my belief that we should lead by the power of example, aided with the power of enthusiasm. Come and share our enthusiasm in the PTA.”

PTA again co-chaired SAF, and helped organize two rounds and approve more than 15 projects. With the generous support of the parents’ community, most of those projects received mentors. Also, the funds generated for student activities tripled on a year-to-year basis.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and schools switching to distance learning, some events that PTA traditionally supports – FISSION, Arts Fest, etc. - moved online, or were canceled.

We appreciate the enthusiastic involvement and proactive initiative of PTA’s leadership: Elena Onbright - President Evgenia Selvelieva - Secretary Kamelia Vankova - Treasurer Kalina Nedeva Tania Tsvetkova Sevda Videva Ivaylo Bachvarov Tania Videva Alexandra Hristova

Thank you, parents, your children will use your gift to inspire you even more!

Evgenia Selvelieva, mother of 10th and 11th graders: “We are extremely happy to see so many parents gathered in the Par- ent-Teacher Association, exchanging ideas and combining energy for the sake of the future of ACS students. All our efforts today will bring more perspectives, countless opportunities and open doors for our students tomorrow. Our wish is to create a long-term tradition of collaboration between the PTA, the school management, faculty and alumni in order to provide the guidance and support so critically important for the students to release their full potential.”

14 STUDENT ACTIVITIES FUND

SAF started as an alumni initiative back in the spring of 2014 and 15 funding rounds have been held over 7 school years since then. The mission of SAF is to support student projects and initiatives by providing financial help in the role of a donor agency, professional project guidance and mentoring throughout the full project cycle. Our aim is to build a community of committed alumni, parents, and ACS staff members who are eager to dedicate efforts for creating an environment of professionalism, citizenship and innovation, and curiosity outside of the classroom.

Throughout the last academic year the SAF committee once again had the chance to meet and support diverse student ideas growing into successful projects. In the fall of 2019, 16 projects were introduced to the committee and 13 of them were approved for funding, which amounted to a total of over BGN 5,000. These included both events which have become traditional to the ACS culture, such as the international science festival FISSION and the ACS Debates competition, as well as new ideas, including the organization of a pho- tography exhibition and the establishment of a new musical club in ACS.

The second SAF funding round for the academic year was held in the spring of 2020, when 5 new project proposals were introduced to the committee. The spring round was also an opportunity for some of the more complex projects approved at the fall round to once again be presented and receive additional funding. A total of BGN 3,465 were approved for disbursement.

The closing of all schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, however, made the realization of most of the projects impossible. The Debates Tournament, the Career Fair, FISSION and others were all to happen in the period of March and April, but had to move online. That is why, SAF provided students with the option of using their funding and realizing their projects in the following academic year.

Luckily, just weeks before the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Bulgaria, the Human Rights Mock Trial took place. The event was organized for a second consecutive year by ACS students of the Class of 2020 and included a series of workshops and simulations of a trial in front of the European Court of Human Rights. The mock trial received funding of BGN 700 and extended mentorship from the SAF committee, which helped for the event’s success.

Another bright idea which immediately triggered the attention of the SAF committee was the creation of a new musical club in ACS, focused on playing boomwhackers — a modern musical instrument, first introduced by the Harvard music society. The project received funding from SAF in the amount of BGN 300 and was preparing to perform at the traditional ACS Arts Fest.

“It is only after graduating ACS in 2016 that I was fully capable of under- standing what this community meant to me. The great number of talented students and the variety of opportunities that ACS provides them, create an atmosphere of growth and inspiration. This is what we, at SAF, are trying to further motivate and support - that every student idea, no matter whether in the field of sports, arts, or community investment, gets the chance to become a successful project. In order to achieve this, students have to present and defend their ideas in front of the SAF committee, just like they would do in a real life scenario, when looking for funding of their startup, for example. Additionally, the committee, consisting of ACS parents and alumni from all specters of professional life, provides mentorship to each project, thus ensuring that a highest level of professionalism is taught and achieved by the bright students of ACS. This is indeed the personal incentive behind my participation in SAF - to nourish the leaders of tomorrow.”

Nicole Levakova ‘16, SAF co-chair

15 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

In Astronomy Class, our 12th graders constructed their own LED Constellation Kits. The LED Constellation Kit is a Maker Activity in the Student Computer Innovation and Fabrication Institute (SCIFI) which falls within the innovative approach in education at the College and supports students in developing practical skills and hands-on experience with different tools. Physics & Astronomy Teacher Christian Youngs and SCIFI Manager David Yordanov spent extra time in preparing the preliminary materials, design and production for the students in advance. At the end of class, the students took their own kits which are already shining in their rooms at home.

*** In late October a team of ACS students, led by SCIFI Manager David Yordanov made a debut appearance at one of the largest international hackathons launched in Russia for the community of tech geeks and developers – Hack.Moscow v3.0. This latest edition brought together more than 700 hackers, innova- tors, software engineers, entrepreneurs, and idealists from all over the world to bring to life complicated and mind-blowing ideas in a 48 hour time frame. ACS students Petar Genov, Ioana Stankova, Stoyan Dinev and Kaloyan Yanchev participated. *** The National Fall Physics Competition took place in Veliko Tar- novo. The ACS physics team demonstrated solid knowledge and skills across all age groups and stood out among the 344 participants from all around Bulgaria. In Grade 9, Teodora Ma- rinova and Vasil Rahnev took 3rd prize. In Grade 10, Spas Dim- itrov took 2nd prize and Atanas Iliev took 3rd prize. In Grades 11-12, Todor Kiurkchiev took first prize, while Zahari Stoimenov and Preslava Boycheva took 3rd prize. ***

16 The Biofest at the Department of Biology of Sofia University ended with great success by highlighting the importance of organic and natural products and the eco-living culture. Five students from ACS, Yvette Dimi- trova, Ivo Yordanov, Ognian Trajanov, Darina Molova and Boris Radulov led by biology teacher Dr. Dineva took part in the Festival as invited presenters. Yvette and Ivo presented in-vitro micropropagation of various plant species and led a hands-on session for the guests of the Biofest. Ognian and Darina presented their working application which converts figures from the Biology Textbook and a Textbook used at Sofia University in 3D images.

*** ACS President Richard T. Ewing Jr. and Foreign Languages Department Chair Yavor Gueorguiev handed cer- tificates to the students who earned the hearts and minds of the community with their Alebrijes. The big prize – an educational trip to Spain – went to Daria Tsaneva and Nya Petrinska, while Sophia Tosheva won second place. Third place went to Lora-Maria Damyanova and Dan Markov.

*** 9th grader Dimitar Gospodinov won first place in the State Individual Judo Championship for Adolescent Boys and Girls! More than 400 young competitors from all over Bulgaria took part. *** 10th grader Veselina Tchimova won the silver medal with the épée at fencing tournament “Serdika Cup” in the girl cadets not older than 17 category. *** ACS 10th grader Valeri Vankov made the top three and earned a silver medal in the 13th Autumn Mathematics Tournament. Valeri has already represented Bulgaria at the 22nd Balkan Youth Mathematics Olympiad, and in the past academic year, as a result of his achievements at the 12th Autumn Mathematics Tournament (Gold Medal), Win- ter Mathematics Tournament (First Prize) and Spring Mathe- matical Competitions (Bronze), he qualified for the Extend- ed National Team for the Romanian Master of Mathematics and the Balkan Mathematics Olympiad. His result at the national round of the Mathematics Olympiad provided him with an invitation for the selection for the Sofia team for the 4th International Olympiad of Metropolises in Moscow. ***

17 Eleventh grader Yana Peeva, who is pursuing French as a second foreign language at ACS, placed 3rd in the Nation- al round of the Multi-Lingual Competition with 72 out of 90 points, only 8 points behind the winner.

*** Students built their own airplanes at the Student Com- puter Innovation and Fabrication Institute (SCIFI) maker- space. Initiated by ACS 10th grader Martin Donev, who is also one of the leaders of the SCIFI Makers Club, the activity made use of Martin’s small wooden airplane design and was open to all interested students. The artwork for the activity was created by Martin’s sister Ema Done- va of the 9th grade while the SCIFI core team: 10th grader Rumen Lozanov, and 11th graders Ivan Spirov and Dan Markov ensured the safe and smooth operation. *** ACS 11th grader Nikol Mihova and 9th grader Alek Selveliev won the Bulgarian Debate Association (BDA) National Debates Competition. The American Col- lege of Sofia was represented by 7 teams, the most of any participating school. ACS Alumni Joana Valova ’18 and Kris- tiya Navushtanova ’19 judged at the tournament while Yordan Georgiev ’19 was a leading con- tributor to “The De- bater’s Handbook” which premiered at the event.

*** In the beginning of November three 10th graders and two 11th graders visited Europas- chule Gladenbach near Frankfurt am Main as part of the College’s partnership with the Erasmus+ Programme. The exchange project is exploring the educational systems in Germany, Austria, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria and is helping the sharing of ideas and best practices. The ACS students visited classes at the German school and stayed with local families to help them get further immersed into German culture, customs and daily life. Additionally, they took two educational trips: to the Sencken- berg Museum of Natural History in Frankfurt and the Mathematikum - the first hands- on mathematical museum. ***

Nine ACS delegates attended the Deutsche Schule Sofia Model UN Conference held on the 8th and 9th of November, 2019.

The delegations varied significantly geographically and politi- cally as our students represented Italy, Spain, Turkey, Chile, Columbia, North Korea, Vietnam, Japan and Australia. They had to work with delegates of a total of 44 countries in order to draft and vote resolutions. The conference was attended by students from Deutsche Schule, First and Second German Schools, First English School, Anglo-American School as well as guests from Mu- nich, Germany. ***

18 On November 23th, 2019, the students from the Italian Culture Club at ACS visited the St. Sofia Basilica and met with the temple’s Archbishop Angel Angelov. Our students donated sweets and other goodies for the underprivileged children in the Nadezh- da Center and the Hemodialysis clinic for whom Father Angel provides care. Thanks to him, the students were also able to visit the museum under the Basilica “St. Sofia” and to learn more about the history of an- cient Serdica and the Roman influences on the local culture. ***

After the boys’ victory on December 14, 2019, we became an absolute record hold- er: four consecutive titles at the ACS Open Volleyball tournament in four consecutive years!

*** The premiere of the ACS literary journal The Fountain Winter 2019 edition took place in December. The topic of the traditional Literary Competition was “Yellow Traffic Light” and winners of this and the Cover Design competitions received their awards at the Gipson Library.

The awards for works on “Yellow Light” in Bulgarian went to Teodora Miteva and Dayana Milieva (third place), second place went to Elina Dimitrova while Yvette Dimitrova earned the top prize with her piece “Five and a half.” In the English Language Competition Isabella Milanova ranked third, while Yoanna Stankova placed second. The first place went to Aleksandra Ladjeva for her work “DGU”. The latest edition features a cover by Georgette Petrova who won the Cover Design Contest, while Dara Sapundzhieva and Dayana Milieva came in third and second respectively. *** In 2019, the ACS Interact Club, led by its president Isabella Milanova and vice-president Iveta Petrovska, significantly in- creased the number of community service projects it organized and participated in. In November, the members of the club, 9-12 grade, organized an all-school food drive. With the help of students, parents, teachers, and staff members, in just 4 days the club collected more than 200 kg of canned and packaged goods for the “People for People” foundation, which distributes donations to 10 institutions of care for underprivileged children.

At the beginning of De- cember, Inter- act members used money raised through a fundraiser to buy food, hygiene products, and Christmas treats for 3 homes for children de- prived of parental care in Pavlikeni, Bulgaria, which were transported to the orphanages for free thanks to the generous offer of Speedy.

Near the end of 2019, club members visited the home for el- derly people “Zona B-5” in Sofia and brought them food and handmade Christmas cards, sang songs, danced Bulgarian folk dances, and in two and a half hours made those people happy and witnessed the connection between two generations. *** 19 Four ACSers comprising team “Little Bang” defended their solutions to complex prob- lems at the national round of the Interna- tional Young Physicists’ Tournament, held

in Kyustendil. The meticulous preparation, sleepless nights and excellent team cohesion of seniors Nikolay Mitev (team captain) and Gergana Peykova, junior Todor Kiurkchiev and tenth-grader Atanas Iliev took team “Little Bang” to the top, both at the preliminary and final physics “fights”, and earned them gold medals.

*** The second edition of the European Court of Human Rights Mock Trial took place from the 6th to the 8th of March, 2020, under the patronage of the European Parliament. The event, organized by seniors Kristabel Konta, Dora Angelova, and Rado Angelov, evolved into their Senior Independent Honors Project. The Mock Trial was made possible with the help of the dedicated members of the Human Rights Mock Trial Club. This year’s competition was unique with its large scale, as high school and university students came to participate from 8 Bulgarian cities, Frankfurt, Germany and Vienna, Austria. The workshops, social event, and the competition itself enriched the participants’ knowledge. They had the chance to meet with exceptionally competent judges, who are laureates of international law competitions, coaches of law teams, active law- yers, and government workers in the European Court of Human Rights.

*** The 2019-2020 basketball season was an exciting ride. ACS Girls basketball had a very successful season, with the varsity team winning more games than in any prior season. There was also enough interest to form an ACS Junior Varsity team for the first time, a promising sign for the future of ACS girls’ basketball. In the NALB Sofia Schools League the ACS Girls Varsity team secured 2nd place for the season and the ACS Girls Junior Varsity team placed 4th.

The ACS Boys Varsity team battled back from a tough loss early in the season against AAS, and were able to over- come their adversaries in an impressive final game on home court to secure the 1st place finish and reclaim the 20 Sofia Schools League trophy. Despite some tough games, the ACS Boys Junior Varsity team showed a lot of resilience and commitment this season, and placed 4th in the league.

Our teams also had the amazing opportunity to participate in a tournament abroad. In early February the girls and boys, along with their coaches and athletic director, travelled to Israel to compete in a tournament at the Walworth Barbour American International School in Tel Aviv. Despite the players’ valiant efforts, and some games that went down to the wire, both the girls and boys teams placed 4th.

*** On February 13, seniors Nikolay Dzhambov and Alexander Natchev organized a FinTech Seminar for their Sen- ior Independent Honors Project (SIHP) and as a culmination to their campaign to get the community better acquainted with the world of financial technologies and cryptocurrencies.

Guest speaker Pavlin Stoyanov, a lawyer with Deloitte, talked the audience through the local and global emer- gence of fintech companies that work with cryptocurrencies and led the discussion about business opportunities in mining, the dangers and risks of fraud, current issues and EU and Bulgarian regulations.

*** How does one get to hang out with classmates on a Saturday night with restrictions to go outside? Given how many students are no strangers to multiplayer online competitions, while being avid chess enthusiasts, there is only one solution: Online Intramural Chess Tour- nament, of course! Twenty ACSers took to the virtual chessboard in the Online Intramural Chess Tournament, held on March 21 from 7 pm to 8 pm. And it was just the first of many such events.

*** ACS 10th graders Viktoria Sugareva and Magdalena Tsocheva won first and second place together with their teams in the Junior Achievement Bulgaria and NN Bulgaria National Innovative Online Camp. The social entrepreneurship initiative challenged high-school students from all over Bulgaria to work online in teams of 6-7, to come up with innovative financial services or products to help better pro- tect insurance clients in pandemic circumstances. Competition was tough but our students contributed competently to their teams in developing apps and assurances for avoiding bankruptcy through forward thinking and advance financial and property defense.

*** Congratulations are due to the students in the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Grades, who represented ACS exceptionally strongly at the Regional Round of the Physics Olympiad. Because of their strong results nine of them were nominated by the committee to qualify for the National Round of the elite contest.

*** This year’s Classical Concert at ACS was scheduled for March 25, 2020, but due to extraordinary circumstances, the College community ended up at home before that date. Shortly after the start of distance learning, pianists Teodora and Alexandra Daskalovi, and Yassen Horozov contacted the Performing Arts Program with ideas and suggestions for the implementation of the Classical Concert through online video. This inspired the Program Leader- ship and earned the support of the school administration.

In preparation for the concert, conductor of the ACS Choir Maes- tro Kristian Popov, together with ACS Choir Accompanist and In- strumental Program Advisor Milena Tsolova, held auditions, ask- 21 ing the students who wish to participate, to send home videos of their performances. After active discussions and additional guidance, the student performers recorded their final versions. *** At the outset of the state of emergency the Manager of the Student Computer Innovation and Fabrication Institute (SCIFI) David Yordanov and ACS alumnus of the Class of 2019 Taniel Gulian, partnered to help in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. In their free time Taniel and David voluntеered to 3D print headbands and laser-cut visors to produce the protective face shields, already donated to 6 hospitals across the country.

*** At the beginning of the second semester ACS junior Yana Peeva participated in the Sustainergy6 Interna- tional Youth Competition for Renewable Energy, held in Israel. In the course of a week, each of the eleven teams, comprised of students from Croatia, Italy, Ger- many, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Romania, Hawaii, and Isra- el, had to solve a different engineering problem, using biomimicry. Yana’s team received the 3rd place award with their project for an enzymatic fuel cell, Ethacell.

*** The Yale Club of Bulgaria (YCB) announced the winners of its first annual Yale Book Award for Exceptional High School Students. ACS students Pavla Petrova and Teodor Baltov are among the five winners.

*** ACS 11th grader Magdalena Boriso- va and 10th grader Viktoria Pelovska, together with the Bulgarian Nation- al Women’s Golf Team, won first place at the European Ladies Team Shield Championship 2020. Over the course of 4 days the national team competed against representatives from Poland, Romania and Ukraine. After prevailing convincingly over the teams from Roma- nia and Ukraine, the Bulgarian athletes only needed a draw against last year’s champions from Poland. Thanks to Mag- dalena’s stable play and the hole she won at the last single, the team earned a draw, which brought them the gold medals.

22 CLASS OF 2020

The ACS Class of 2020 joined all the other graduating classes all over the world in having a senior year to re- member. Not much of it was business as usual. Most of it was a curveball – and not in a good way.

To the credit of the seniors, and the professionalism of the Counseling Office, college and university applications went out on time. The results were impressive.

They have been accepted to colleges and universities as prestigious and as diverse as Cambridge, King’s College, the University of Arts, London, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Dartmouth, NYU, UC San Diego, Yale, the American University in Bulgaria, the American University in Paris, The Australian National University, Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Bocconi, Czech Technical University.

Then, the scheduled graduation date came around – and the school was still closed. The overwhelming wish of seniors, faculty, and administration to acknowledge in a proper way the accomplishments of this remarkable class saw us through to a ceremony that was one of a kind yet spectacular, in accordance with safety and health guidelines. Following social distancing rules, we were able to hold our Commencement in person on our campus. Parents of our graduates also had the opportunity to participate. The ceremony was live-streamed on our social-media channels for those unable but wishing to witness the event.

US Ambassador Herro Mustafa congratulated the Class of 2020

Renowned Bulgarian novelist and publisher Zachary Karabashliev, key-note speaker, said: “Trust me on this: It may take some time, but your moment will come. And you have to be ready for it. What you must do in the meantime, waiting for your moment to come is very important: build character. “But I already have character! you might say. Yes, you do. But it is an ongoing project, it shouldn’t stop when you turn 18 or 21 or 40. You don’t stop building a bridge in the middle of the river, do you? You don’t stop building a three-story house when only the first floor is done.”

23 EXTERNAL PROGRAMS

Diana Zapryanova, External Programs Director:

With the start of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, our team showed great creativity, flexibility and proactiveness.

For a short period of time all courses went online. And instead of recording and sending out videos like many others did, we kept the format and the liveliness of our classes. The students were in contact with the teachers not only during the online classes but also 24/7 via the digital platforms Google Classroom and ClassDojo where they shared photos, learning materials and assignments, had discussions and kept in touch. Overall, the transition to online learning was smooth and successful. With the exception of two 5-year old kids all registered students attended the online training.

By the start of the summer, all children and parents were tired of the lockdown. None of them expressed inte-rest in an online summer school, but there were over 100 parents waiting for us to announce a summer school on campus. Simultaneously, many learning centers announced that they would remain closed during the summer.

After evaluating the risks and our capacity to enforce all required anti-COVID measures, the ACS management took the decision to open the ACS campus for the kids. And it was the right decision. By doing so, we had a number of positive outcomes. We reaffirmed the ACS reputation as a trustworthy institution delivering high quality educational programs and taking the best possible anti-COVID measures.

Our marketing proved to work very well. We reached a high number of new clients. We discovered new remarkable teachers who now continue working with us.

And last but not least, we did well financially. 176 kids spent part of their summer at the ACS campus. 131 (76%) were new clients, 35 kids (20%) were returning clients from summer school 2019, and 10 children (6%) were clients from the year-long courses.

Income from courses and individual classes 227,000

125,000

85,000

2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020

My daughter Adelina is so positively influenced by her spending these four weeks with you! Today, she woke up with the words, “Hurry, or I’ll be late for camp” - and it’s Sunday. She said sadly that she’ll miss “climbing the hill” to Sanders. Adi built so many experiences and several friendships, fell in love with softball - where she only thought of soccer before - altogether beautiful memories and experiences. In addition to her favorite Shumana (Akhtar, summer school teacher) during her first weeks there, she kept relating about Miss Dacheva and the grammar they studied, including the use of their personal tablets and keyboards this last Friday. From their science class, we still keep the bird house on our tree, and the acting videos are now in the family’s Viber group, and Adi wants to study acting. It was an incredible experience - I wish I were in the age group that could participate. Again, I want to express my great gratitude for what you create for the kids.

Asya Georgieva

24 LIST OF DONORS

Gifts of 4,999–1,000 leva

Anonymous Ilian Georgiev Jordan Marvakov Alek Andreev Rossen Georgiev Microsoft Avis Calleo Bohlen Google Elena Onbright Lilyana Boneva Nora Hesse Todor Penev Nikolay Borisov Dimitar Hristov Milena Rizova Vassil Chatalbashev IMC Richard Robarts Estate Lilia Dobreva Svilen Karaivanov Borislav Stefanov Andrey Evtimov Tihomir Kostadinov Joel F. Studebaker Richard Ewing Nikola Kouzmanov Todor Todorov William Fisher & Kalinda Webb Dimitar Kyurkchiev

During my time at ACS, I was so impressed by the stories of students coming from all over Bulgaria under different circumstances to attend. That diversity makes ACS special. My contribution is to support the diverse student body, and particularly, the continued efforts to make ACS even more accessible to families that find full tuition too big a sacrifice.

Brian Horneck, former ACS teacher

Gifts of 999–500 leva Anonymous Georgi Klissurski Kathryn Polansky Yordan Cenov Valentin Georgiev Mario Prohasky Filip Cherganski Lyubitsa Gerasimova Emil Raychev Todor Dimanov Pavlina Halawy Sarah Skaggs-Dimitrova Dimitar Dimitrov Enio Nakov Boris Statev Ilka Dimova Vladislava Paskova Teodora Todorova

Circumstances around us are changing constantly, and so we’re looking for different ways to support our communities. I am fortunate to work in a successful global organization, VMware, which has set up a way for its employees to designate a gift to a cause of their choice. For some time, I’ve wanted to give back to ACS. I’ve earned an award through our company’s foundation, which I designated as a gift of 10,000 leva towards Financial Aid at the College. Many companies have established such opportunities for their employees, so I encourage you to look for opportunities like that at your workplace. The current students at ACS can definitely use our help in these turbulent times, and we can contribute to their success!

Vesselin Arnaudov ’01

25 Gifts of 499–200 leva Anonymous Ekaterina Gospodinova Denitza Petrova Marina Boevska Evelina Hobson Elena Rangelova Peter Boshkov Radoslav Iliev Dani Simova Berta Darakchieva Stanka Ilkova Kaloyan Todorov Alexandra Draganova Alexander Khasymski Milko Todorov Suzanne Farnham Kinstellar c.p.o. Gergana Vassileva Iain Flannery Alexandrina Koykova Zornitsa Vodenska Elina Foutekova Simeona Manova Elena Zlateva Elena Gerasimova Youlian Petkov

The coronavirus pandemic has adversely impacted many of our community’s families. Several of our students were at risk of having to leave due to the financial shortfall. I gave to the Gift of Security Campaign because I believe all of our students have the right to attend the College regardless of their financial situation. Our students work extraordinarily hard and they deserve the chance to graduate with their peers.

Iain Flannery, ACS teacher

Gifts of 199–1 lev Anonymous Elena Kirilova Ani Petrova Apple Kalina Kourdova Teodora Petrova Hristina Argirova Mira Kovacheva Mina Porell Ivaylo Bachvarov Veronika Koykova Dessislava Proshkova Maria Bakardjieva Ivan Kroussachki Raichevi Tsvetana Bosseva Aysel Kucuksu Zara Rancheva Maria Boshnacova Nevena Kuneva- Svilen Rangelov Konstantin Boychinov Mladenova Vladislav Shunturov Nediyana Daskalova Elena Laleva Desislava Simeonova Lazar Delchev Lina Le Yana Staneva Ivan Dimitrov Nguyen Le Ivan Stefanov Ivo Dimitrov Nicole Levakova Magda Stephens Rada Dishkelova Nikolai Levy Andriana Sterling Petar Djalaliev Zornitza Lilova Katerina Stoeva Dimitar Donev Stoyan Manolov Rozaliya Stoyanova Viktoria Dotcheva Yana Marinova Tsvetelina Tomina Georgi Doychev Milen Matev Alexander Tomov Georgi Dumanov Tsveta Matrinova Krasi Tomov Victor Fachev Georgi Metodiev Trayan Trayanov Elizabeth Farr Antonia Mihaylova Spaska Tsankova Emil Filchev Aneta Mihova Kalina Tsoneva Timothy French Maria Mircheva Irena Tsvetkova Antoaneta Frodermann Mariya Miteva Mariya Tsvetkova Georgi Georgiev Nikoleta Milena Tsvetkova Toncho Gochev Moldovanska- Mariela Vacheva Jordan Hlebarov Alexieva Krassimir Velkov Brian Horneck Nayden Naydenov Andrey Voynov Dilyana Horozova Vladimir Nedkov Joan Wilson Antoaneta Hristova Desislava Nikolova Janet Zaharieva Ivaylo Iaydjiev Zahary Ninov Valentin Zanev Marin Iliev Darina Oresharova Elena Loredana Zaulet Dimitar Ivanov Veneta Pankova Jivko Zhelyazkov Adriana Ivanova Svetlana Pareva Nadezhda Zhelyazkova Alexander Kanov Milko Pavlov Maria Zlatkova Desislava Karakoleva Maria Pencheva Alexandra Kasyanova Kamen Petrov

*21 of our donors have opted to remain anonymous 26 ACS BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Theodora Konetsovska, Chair ’97 Evgenia Peeva ’04 Avis T. Bohlen Georgi Prohasky Ivelina Borisova ’98 Marcie Ries Jonathan B. Clayton Sam Seymour Karen Collias Borislav Stefanov ’97 Ann Ferren Joel F. Studebaker Nellie Gencheva-Gipson Trayan Trayanov ’01 Katherine Georgiev Roger Whitaker Valentin Georgiev William J. Williams, Jr. Nedko Kyuchukov ’03 David Bliss Wilson Thomas Marshall

ACS LEADERSHIP

Dr. Richard T. Ewing, Jr. President Maria Angelova Deputy Director Stephen Morison Dean of Students Slaveja Milanova Director of Accounting and Business Tanya Assenova Registrar Rehema Allen Faculty Development Coordinator

DEVELOPMENT TEAM © 2020 American College of Sofia Campus Address: Floyd Black Lane, Mladost 2 Petia Ivanova ’97 1799 Sofia, Bulgaria Director of Development* Mailing address: P.O. Box 873 1000 Sofia, Georgi Iliev Bulgaria Director of Annual Giving www.acs.bg [email protected] (3592) 434-1008 Georgi Metodiev Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Director of Major Gifts and Partnerships** americancollegeofsofia/ Alexander Tomov ’04 This report was published by the ACS Communications Director Development Office and includes gifts received Zornitsa Haidutova between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020. Development Specialist We have made every effort to list all donors. We regret any errors or omissions, and request *on leave that you report corrections to the Development **acting director of development Office. THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SOFIA ANNUAL GIVING REPORT 2019-2020 www.acs.bg 28