By Meilee Wong

Davis Enterprise

Then: An announcement in Maya Mitova's local newspaper advertised that the Bulgarian Fulbright Commission was inviting teachers from language schools to apply for its exchange program, and she gladly accepted the opportunity.

In September, a year after applying and with many new experiences under her belt, Mitova found herself as the first Bulgarian high school English teacher to participate in the Fulbright program at Davis High School.

The 10-year veteran teacher (and alumna) of Foreign Language High School in Vidin, Mitova majored in English philology at Veliko Turnovo University, a degree that can lead to careers in teaching or translating.

"Actually, I wanted to be a vet, because my parents were working in the same field," she says. "But I changed my mind in the ninth grade."
That decision was fortunate both for her students in Vidin as well as in Davis, as now both her Bulgarian and American students have the benefit of her studies and experiences, including her three years in the Peace Corps.

Mitova also won a grant to study a course in teaching development at the International Project Center in Exeter, Great Britain, which she completed before traveling to the United States.
Last July, Mitova traveled to Washington, D.C., to a Fulbright conference. Other Bulgarian teachers on the Fulbright program include a physics and chemistry teacher in Oregon and a social studies teacher in Maine.

"They told us about living and teaching in the U.S.A.," she says. "All the Fulbright teachers meet and are sent to different sites."

There, Mitova met her exchange partner, Davis High's Beverly Ballard, who is now teaching in Mitova's place at Foreign Language High School.
"At the beginning of August, I traveled and spent some time with my partner, which was quite helpful to me," she says.

Now: Mitova is teaching her five English classes -- three sections of English 10 and two of American literature -- and greatly appreciates her time in Davis. She also notes some interesting differences between her hometown high school and Davis High.

In Bulgaria, one teacher at Foreign Language High School stays with the same group of students throughout their high school careers.

"You start teaching the first year, the prep year, and students have 22 hours of English classes," she says. "Since you have the same students, you become so close, and sometimes you're even a counselor and a priest."

Here, Mitova found Davis High quite different from the school in Vidin.

"Students here have less interaction with each other, but they get to know more of their teachers, which is quite positive because they get used to different styles and methods of teaching," she says.

As for the campus itself, Mitova finds Davis High both "spread out and crowded." While the open campus and wide spread of the buildings make Davis High seem large, the sheer numbers of Blue Devils also add to the crowded feel of the campus.
"You here have about 2,000," Mitova notes. "My school is about 400 students."

Foreign Language High School students must pass exams in both Bulgarian and math, and is a school specific to those who wish to learn English "intensively." The other most popular languages include French and German, and, much like Davis High, many students from Foreign Language High School continue their studies at universities.

"There is a great interest in American universities," Mitova says.

A popular choice for her students is the University of Maine's satellite campus in Bulgaria, where students from all over the Balkan Peninsula come to study under a mostly American faculty and where most classes are taught in English.

"There is a great interest in continuing education at the American universities," Mitova explains. "This is one of my goals -- to help research good colleges where my students from my country could go."

Given that, Mitova has greatly enjoyed UC Davis, including her meetings with the UC Davis linguistics department and her visits to Shields Library. She also was able to attend symphony and opera concerts at the Mondavi Center.

"Davis people are lucky to have this jewel, this precious Mondavi Center," she says. "How beautiful it is!

"There are wonderful opportunities for students from other countries to get together," she says of the UC Davis campus. "Everything is close. The campus and services are convenient. I definitely would recommend UCD to European students and other Fulbright scholars."

While in the United States, Mitova has had a chance to visit Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Dallas, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento and is planning to visit Salt Lake City. During spring break, she traveled to Atlanta, where she met with an old colleague from the Peace Corps business program in Vidin, and had the opportunity to visit cultural centers and learn about African American history and culture.

"I'm impressed by the beauty and enormity of this country and the national heritage," she says.

As the school year winds to a close, Mitova is now thinking of returning home.

"The Bulgarian nation is relatively unknown to Americans," she says. "Some call Bulgaria the best-kept secret in Eastern Europe.

"Despite my eagerness to go home, there will still be some difficulties in saying my final goodbyes to people here."

In reflecting on her experiences of the past year, Mitova will always carry fond memories of her time in Davis.

"I find the community and people well-educated, generous, friendly, and it was my pleasure to work with Davis' demanding and responsible parents," she says. "It is also a pleasure to work with such experienced and intelligent colleagues and supportive administration.

"The students at Davis High are smart and interested in learning about other countries," she adds. "They are eager to learn about the teenagers in Europe. They feel free to talk and share a lot about their life. They are open, once the ice is broken."

Living in a place that is both spread out and crowded, enormous and convenient, Mitova is a trailblazer for Bulgarian high school English teachers.

"Other university professors have come before to UCD, but not Davis High," she says. "I thank the Fulbright Commission for the opportunity to teach at such a good school as Davis High."