My journey with Code Academy began when I was a fourth-year student at UNWE, specializing in “Business Informatics and Communications.” It was my final year at university, and the time had come to make decisions about my future. I had started preparing to go abroad to continue my education and potentially stay there. My brother and mother have lived there for years and were expecting me, but I had always been looking for a way to stay in Bulgaria.

Then came Career Day at the university. I usually don’t attend such events, but a friend of mine picked up a brochure from the Academy. A little later, I looked through it and saw that it was something interesting, so I went back to get a brochure for myself.

Of course, I forgot about the brochure, and it remained unnoticed for a long time. One day, when I was once again contemplating how to stay in Bulgaria, I found it and applied for a Back-end Developer course with Java.

The selection process at the Academy is quite rigorous—interviews, tests, tasks—but I managed to get through it and started my journey towards a new future. I was a shy girl with some programming knowledge from university. The course taught me practical application and deep understanding of programming. The teaching methods, personal approach, and support from the team and mentors helped me a lot, so today I can proudly call myself a programmer.

There were many challenging moments along the way—times when I didn’t understand something and had to review the lectures over and over again. Eventually, I realized that this is normal and that it’s important not to give up. To try again, to read, to write code, and to seek support from the mentors who are there to guide you.

I successfully completed the course and was hired by a company partnered with the Academy, but I never lost touch with the Code Academy team, my coursemates, lecturers, and mentors.

I had the opportunity to develop both in my job and as a mentor for the next Java groups at the Academy. This significantly improved my skills and gave me the chance to help many other young people fall in love with programming and choose to stay and live here.

My dream to live in Bulgaria, to grow in a prosperous field that provides me with opportunities for development, came true thanks to the large community at Code Academy. I’m glad I stayed here and met you all.

I can confidently say that the Academy is like one big family. It is a community of people with a shared mindset, values, and a vision to change the future for everyone. For a better life for those who live and return to Bulgaria, and for the young people who have fought to stay here, like me.

I’ve been working with the team for over 12 years on various projects, mostly related to the IT sector. I loved my job. I was responsible for the implementation and development of new projects, had a fantastic team, communicated with clients, and also took care of the marketing part. I’ve always been interested in exploring new technologies, which is why I volunteered for more technical tasks—from finding new software to automate some of our processes to training new colleagues on how to use our systems.

When we started Code Academy in 2019, I had just returned from maternity leave with my second child. When Katya (the founder of the academy) said we would be training programmers, I first thought I hadn’t heard correctly. Then I got worried because she clearly meant exactly that. I had no idea what we were going to do—I, the tech person for whom technologies were something easy and simple, felt completely lost and confused about programming. At the same time, I loved the idea—we were helping people change their career paths and helping companies find fresh talent. It was the perfect win-win situation. And I got to work hard.

At the beginning of 2020, we started the first two six-month groups of future junior programmers. This was a turning point in my life. Over the following years, I gradually realized some very important things:

First, that my work truly has an impact. We change people’s lives and do something significant for them and the entire IT sector in Bulgaria. I’ve always liked my job, but I began to feel proud of it. I am very proud of what we do at Code Academy!

The second thing I realized was that I no longer worry about what the future holds for my children. Yes, every parent has those moments, and I am no exception. I saw in practice how with focused efforts, a quality and good life in Bulgaria is possible. And that gave me peace and security.

The third insight was that there are no limits to my capabilities. Within just one year, I managed to delve seriously into the technical part of our training, while at the beginning, I felt completely lost and confused. This is something microscopic compared to everything else, but it is my personal huge victory.

And finally, but not least—in fact, it’s probably the most important—my work at the academy helped me shape my personal credo. I believe that people are the most important—their lives and well-being, their happiness. For me, people are the center of everything and the meaning of every action I take, whether it’s my family or my big family at the academy. My personal mission is in full harmony with the mission of Code Academy.

Today, four years later, I continue to develop and work hard to achieve my personal and professional goals. Code Academy is also developing in what I believe is the right direction. We are enhancing our training programs for professional and personal development. Our new initiative offers lifelong learning opportunities. This is the formula that will enable many more people to change their lives and have a brighter future in Bulgaria. I believe we are on the right path, and I am very excited about everything that lies ahead. The team I work with is a team of like-minded individuals—people who have been “tested in battle,” on whom I can rely, and I know that together we will achieve everything.

Today we are launching a new section on our blog – “The Dream of…”, where we will introduce you to members of the Code Academy community – our team, our lecturers, mentors, successful graduates, partners, and everyone we consider part of our large family.

The first story, of course, is about Katya Velikova – the Founder and CEO of Code Academy. Meet Katya’s dream.

Katya Velikova – Founder and CEO of Code Academy:

I believe that every person can build their own destiny, create their world, and make it better for themselves, their family, their environment, the company, and their country. I believe that every person is a whole of different facets, reflecting every part of our lives – health, relationships, career, family, friends, ambitions, desires, talents. Each of us comes into this world with different talents and creates different things, but all of us also go through similar life challenges and steps. We all go through our trials, have our wounds and limiting beliefs. To be fulfilled, joyful, and feel maximally realized in life, it is important to know ourselves, know good practices, and have support from people around us. This platform was born as a result of my own searches and mistakes and the desire to help more people have abundance and happiness in their lives.

In 2017, I was on the school board at my son’s school. My son was in first grade and I was very shocked when, at the general assembly of the school, I realized that after 12th grade all parents send their children abroad hoping they never return to our country. At the door, the chairman of the board was asking everyone which country they would send their child to study after graduation. The opinion that the best choice we can make is to send our children abroad to seek their fortune was spreading like an epidemic at the school. This made me realize that almost all graduates go abroad and stay there. Parents convinced themselves and repeated that this is a very bad place, our education is very poor, they cannot be well realized afterward, and our children should in no way stay in Bulgaria.

I believe that if we want to live in a better place, we need to work and achieve it together, instead of going to a foreign place where we will always be foreigners. Deep down, I am convinced that a person himself builds his fate with the support of people around him and if he knows what he wants to achieve, he can do wonders. Over the years, I have been considering what could add value to the business and the economy and help people work, receive decent compensation, and live a good life here in Bulgaria. Because Bulgaria is a fabulous place to live. The nature, climate, and food are incomparable and I can’t wait to get home every time I travel abroad.

Therefore, when in a conversation with our client in 2019, he shared that they want to train junior programmers, I embraced the idea with open arms, because I saw this opportunity for the development of the Bulgarian economy in the IT sector. Thus, we organized our first groups, continued to the next ones, and today, with over 350 successfully realized programmers, we are expanding our horizon and boldly looking towards the possibility of supporting and influencing the overall development and unlocking the potential of our students with training, related not only to technical skills. Our new direction will provide a structure for lifelong learning, for personal development, communication skills, working with people, as well as very personal guidelines, such as building full relationships and, recognizing and developing our strengths and confidence in ourselves.

Stay tuned for our next personal story…