A total of 275 students from the Faculty of Education received their diplomas for the educational and qualification degrees of Bachelor and Master during a formal ceremony held at the Cultural Center Hall in Stara Zagora. The average grade for the graduating class was Very Good (5.10) for Bachelor’s students and Very Good (5.06) for Master’s students.

Official guests at the ceremony included representatives of the university’s rectorate, the municipal and regional administrations, as well as principals of schools and partner institutions.

“Never forget that, in the eyes of children, you will be the role model — the authority they trust and follow. This makes your responsibility to society even greater,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gencho Valchev, Dean of the Faculty, wishing the young educators confidence and dignity as they embark on their professional journey.

On behalf of Prof. Dr. Miroslav Karabaliev, Rector of Trakia University, and the entire rectorate, the graduates were congratulated by Prof. Dr. Nikolay Tsankov, Vice-Rector for Quality, Accreditation, and Continuing Education. “Your journey begins — not just as chosen, but as called. You are architects of consciousness — you will shape thinking, encode empathy, and program the heart,” said Prof. Tsankov, wishing the graduates never to lose the inspiration that led them to this profession.

On behalf of the Mayor and the leadership of the Municipality of Stara Zagora, Mrs. Nadezhda Chakurova, Deputy Mayor for Education and Youth Activities, expressed her appreciation for the efforts of both lecturers and students: “Continue to be inspired in the profession you have chosen, because it is the educator who passes on the values of education to our children.”

The valedictorian of the class is Silviya Decheva, majoring in Pedagogy of Information Technology Education, with an excellent GPA of 5.97. She delivered an emotional address on behalf of all graduates, expressing gratitude to the lecturers for their support and faith.

An exceptionally moving moment came with the taking of the Teacher’s Oath — a symbolic act of dedication and moral responsibility toward children and society. The new teachers pledged to be bearers of kindness, tolerance, and the pursuit of knowledge, to love their students, and to educate through personal example.

As tradition dictates, the ceremony concluded with the festive tossing of academic caps — a gesture of gratitude to the university and a symbolic beginning of the young educators’ new professional journey.