March 21, 2019

Good afternoon everyone.  Special thanks to:

Paulina Zaharieva, TOM Project Manager
Dick Ewing, President of  the American College of Sofia
Ambassador Irit Lillian, Israeli Ambassador to Bulgaria

Many thanks to the staff of ACS and TOM for organizing this makeathon.  I am so happy to be here to kick off this exciting event.

For the next 72 hours, all of you will be working hard to create innovative solutions to real-life challenges.  Regardless of the outcome, all of you should be proud to be a part of this effort to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

As you know, technology is the defining characteristic of the modern world.  We have a shared responsibility to use it in a way that is positive and beneficial to others.

Tomorrow’s jobs – some of which have not been invented yet – will require today’s students to be fluent in the language of technology and the STEM fields.

Through the U.S. Embassy’s numerous STEM initiatives, which include coding workshops, speaker programs, and even a visit last year by a NASA astronaut, we are supporting young Bulgarians as they prepare themselves for this technologically advanced, interconnected world.

It is my privilege to be a part of this makeathon.  I wish you the best of luck in days ahead.  You should all take great pride in knowing that you are working to make the world a better place.

Thank you.