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…
