Rali’s Story

Rali is an 18-year-old girl whose path was not easy, but she is determined to write the rest of her life story herself. Rali was born in a small town in Bulgaria, where she struggled to find her place among her peers in a mainstream school, as it was decided by the government that funding for special schools was too much of a burden for society. So for many years, she was neglected by the teachers who had neither the time nor the special qualifications to work with Rali, and they were also overloaded because they had to work with 30 children each. Because Rali was different and couldn’t cope with the curriculum, she was brutally bullied and abused by her peers, but she wanted to learn (for her, it didn’t matter how quick or slow a learner she was) and be like every other child her age. She really enjoyed art and music, but she struggled with other subjects. At the age of 11, she was brutally beaten by a classmate of hers just because she was different and had different abilities. This was the last straw that our family could take, and we moved to Scotland in 2017.

Rali spent very little time at Beancross Primary School at the end of the P7 and started  Carrongrange High School (Grangemouth) without speaking English. She started high school knowing two words: “apple” and “thank you”. She quickly settled into her new school and was motivated by the fantastic attitude of her teachers, the loving and caring atmosphere, and the new friendships she built there. She was so happy to be accepted the way she was that she wanted to attend school on weekends and holidays. She didn’t want to stay at home. Supported and nourished, she grew up and flourished, becoming a respected, loved and popular individual. She always kept her smile, trying to brighten her friend’s and teachers’ days. She was so grateful for the fantastic opportunity to learn and develop her skills that she decided that her achievements would be the best present for all those who supported her!

So Rali challenged herself and decided to continue studying. Her new adventure is going to college – she starts her Towards Independence Course (2 years) tomorrow at New Lanarkshire College, Cumbernauld campus.

The transition period was not easy for Rali (I guess it never is for anyone), and with some ups and downs and lots of support from the family, she can finally open a new chapter in her life. We all share her excitement and will continue to support and motivate her to learn and grow, as she already understands that there is no limit to achievements, progress and development. In this field, speed and comparison are irrelevant.

Rali is utterly excited about tomorrow’s great day, buzzing up and down, busy with finishing touches and over-preparing, about starting college.

I hope she can show her abilities to everyone and will have a great time at the college.