Biography

​I am originally from Bulgaria, Eastern Europe. The best schools in the country are the specialized schools for Languages and Mathematics. To be admitted, students must take a test, and admission is based on their scores as well as their report card grades from the 5th, 6th, and 7th grades. The School for Foreign Languages—offering Spanish, French, and Russian (with Portuguese recently added)—has been recognized by UNESCO since 1965 as a leading educational model based on student achievement, a project-based learning system, and exceptional teacher preparation.

Because of my background in Spanish, I applied to the Complutense University of Madrid and graduated with a Master’s degree in Art History. In 2002, I moved to the USA, where I began my art career while concurrently teaching Art, Art History, and Spanish. In 2006, I was named Best Language Tutor at the community college in Conroe and Best Emerging Artist in Ceramics in Houston. In 2008, I graduated from the University of Houston with a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture. I have participated in national, international juried exhibitions, lead Artist in Residency at Hygiene Elementary school, Keshkemet Ceramic Center in Hungary, and in the Modern Center for Porcelaine in China.

Later, I began a PhD program in Film Theory through the Autonomous University of Madrid. However, soon after starting, my son was born in Colorado, and I was only able to complete the first year of the program. Since then, I have been working as a Spanish teacher. I believe I bring art history, literature, and music into the classroom in a way that truly enriches the curriculum. Ultimately, I believe that students need to learn languages to connect with others and to be successful citizens in our globalized world.

 #2 Syllabus IIVANOVA SY25-26