Ivelina Dimitrova traveled all over the world before finding her place at the School of Business at New Paltz.

Her journey began in Varna, Bulgaria. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics from the University of Economics – Varna, Ivelina embarked on a dream job with the Royal Caribbean cruise line.

 As a first level officer with the company, Ivelina visited places like Hawaii, Mexico, Alaska and Canada. Encountering people from all over the world allowed her to learn about different cultures and languages. She said most of what she learned about the American language and culture occurred while aboard cruise ships.

After working for the company for three years, Ivelina decided to return to the business world. For her, the logical choice was to travel to the United States and pursue her Master’s of Business Administration (MBA). With her background, Ivelina has been interested in studying the global business economy. She worked with international students as a graduate assistant in the Center for International Programs. Helping students in situations similar to hers has played an important role in her adjustment to studying in a new country.

With graduation on the horizon, Ivelina is busy preparing to reenter the work force.

Ivelina plans to stay in the United States following graduation and work in New York City in finance or accounting, but has not ruled out working in the New Paltz area.

“I love New Paltz,” she said. “You can walk everywhere. It’s very European.”

Even though she has traveled around the world and spent the last two years at New Paltz, she still thinks of home often.

“I want to stay in the United States for a while, but I don’t want to lose the connection with my background,” she said.