w 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 cu- riosity, leadership, and collaboration among multi-talen- ted students of various social, cultural, economic, and geographical backgrounds. The American College of Sofia provides an outstanding private education to 903 Bulgarian and international stu- dents. 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, educa- tional 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 initia- tives 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 mo- ney 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 reno- vations 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 aware- ness 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 prob- lem. 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 for- ward 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 successful- ly 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, math- ematics, 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