Silva Kantareva, a student from Yambol, Bulgaria, is salutatorian of Union College's Class of 2005.
She is the daughter of Mary and Dimiter Kantarev.
Kantareva earned her bachelor's degree with a major in political science and minors in history and philosophy. She transferred to Union from American University in Bulgaria her junior year.
“I had heard great things about the College,” she said, noting that many Bulgarians have chosen the “Union path.”
“The attention Union paid to me from the very beginning of the application process was a good measure of how devoted the institution is to contributing to students' academic and personal success,” she said.
She added that “Union brings together a variety of scholars – both students and professors – from many nationalities and interests who create a harmonious, yet dynamically cooperative, ambience.”
Kantareva was active in several Union clubs and organizations, including U-Care, Women at Union, International Students Club, and the Russian and East European Culture Club.
She received the Horatio Warner Prize for the senior of high personal character with the highest standing in the bachelor of arts program; the George Catlin Prize for high scholastic standing and promise in graduate study and college teaching; the Oswald Heck Irwin Steingutt Prize for the student majoring in the division of social sciences who has consistently done the best work in political science; and the Rotary Prize for International Study.
Advised by Robert Hislope, assistant professor of political science, Kantareva authored a paper, “The Balkans: A Study of a Discourse,” that was recently published in Politikon, the journal of the International Association of Political Science Students. The paper examines the logic and causes of the Balkan conflicts.
Kantareva plans to pursue a master's degree in international studies at Yale University or Johns Hopkins University in the fall.