Founder, Director and Primary Lead Teacher

I was born and raised in Bulgaria, in the heart of the Balkan Mountains. As a child I loved playing math mind games, painting, drawing, sculpting, dancing, but most of all I loved going up in the mountains and visiting the ancient Roman archaeological site every weekend in sunshine, rain or snow. I started studying English at the age of 9 and dreamed of going to London and speaking my truth about life in Hide Park. I graduated from the Technical University of Gabrovo with a Master’s degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

In 1991, I met my future husband George while he was teaching Business Law and Ethics through the Chambers of Commerce in Eastern Europe. We traveled extensively through Europe, being exposed to a variety of cultures, languages, and experiences, but soon made the decision to go to Texas and live close to George's family. I jumped into this international move with faith, guided by my husband's favorite advice: "Trust yourself! You can do anything!" The same advice I often find myself giving to the children at Bluebonnet today.

I discovered the Montessori philosophy in the winter of 1996 when we were searching for a pre-school for our children – our son David was three years old, and our daughter Rachael was one at the time. As my studies were in the field of math and science, I absolutely fell in love with the Montessori math materials – I was in math heaven! I could not keep my eyes and hands off the tactile and colorful materials. I knew immediately my son and daughter were going to love the Montessori environment, where kids were moving about happily and freely, discovering new ideas and acquiring new skills through their own experiences.

I was inspired by the freedom of the Montessori environment and wanted to give my own children this type of learning experience, something that was not available to me as a child growing up in a communist society. I immersed myself in learning about the Montessori philosophy and later became a certified Montessori Educator. The best years in my life have been the years of guiding children to trust themselves and discover their full potential for greatness ever since 1997!

Growing up in Bulgaria, where education was the symbol of enlightenment in a society far more restricted, I learned from a very young age the power of dreams. I used to dream about one world where people of all colors and of all ages would live together in harmony, unity and peace. Little did I know then that my dream as a child would take root right here, in the heart of Texas, and blossom into what is today Bluebonnet Montessori. Bluebonnet was created and built with lots of love and care. Our vision was to create a nature sanctuary for the children, where seeds of knowledge would be sown, but also seeds of love would be nurtured: love of nature, love of trees, love of flowers, love of all forms of life, and love of humanity. In the spring of 2000, my husband George and I spent many days crawling under the trees in thick forest of Live Oaks and Cedar trees with a tape measure and a notepad trying to find the perfect spot for the round buildings so that no Live Oaks will be cut down. My husband and I poured our hearts and minds into designing the school and built it with our own hands. We invested everything we had in this dream. It was a true family adventure and my father, Nikolay, designed and built the child size custom furniture, while our young children at the time, David and Rachael, nailed boards on the building's framing and the roof, moved many rocks from the foundation site to create the gardens and planted the first bluebonnet flowers in the spring of 2001. It was a labor of pure love for the greater benefit of all children.

The sparks of joy I see in the Bluebonnet children's eyes, their joy of discovery, fulfilled curiosity and love of learning that take place in this children's sanctuary, created with such care and love remind me every day that dreams do come true!

I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my time in this life on Earth. I am so grateful for the amazing children, parents and teachers who helped me create and nurture our Bluebonnet community and look forward to welcoming many more children in our " Bluebonnet Montessori Children's Home" where they will feel at home while away from home in the years to come.