Rayna Emilova’s journey shows how the Roma Graduate Preparation Program (RGPP) can open doors to new opportunities she had never dreamed of before!
Rayna has a B.A. in Bulgarian Philology from Sofia University and she is also a Bulgarian literature teacher. Rayna has always been passionate about education. In 2021, she was accepted to RGPP, where she took tutorial classes in History and Gender. Through these courses, she explored how education is linked to expectations placed on Roma women, how these expectations can lead to discrimination, and why it is important to have difficult conversations to create change. She completed RGPP in 2022.
After graduation, Rayna returned to Bulgaria to teach. But her journey didn’t stop there—she was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study at the University of Michigan! Rayna is now the fourth RGPP alumni who have received Fulbright scholarships, and even our program chair, Angela Kocze, is a former Fulbright recipient! Rayna is currently a Master's student in Educational Studies at one of the best universities for education. She also works as a researcher, studying exclusionary practices in early childhood education. Rayna will graduate in December.
RGPP helped Rayna grow in ways she never expected.
“Thanks to RGPP, I made wonderful friendships. By becoming an international student, I also stepped out of my comfort zone,” - she shares.
RGPP is more than just a program—it helps you discover what you truly want and gives you the tools to achieve it. Rayna and hundreds of other RGPP alumni took a decision by applying to RGPP and this decision has changed their lives! Rayna is now one step closer to addressing important issues in education. If you want to challenge yourself, meet inspiring people, and open doors you never thought possible, RGPP could be the right path for you.
Apply to RGPP - you have less than one month! https://romanistudies.ceu.edu/apply-rgpp-20252026
FINAL Info Session: https://events.ceu.edu/2025-03-28/apply-rgpp-march-info-session