Maria Ivanova from Burgas, who came third at Miss Bulgaria 2026, plans school workshops and a charity project for children without parental care.

She is staying in Burgas and wants to build her career in the region.

Ivanova has a degree in psychology. She is studying integrative psychotherapy and psychosomatics in Sofia, and travels there from Burgas. She wants to combine her interest in fashion with psychology and psychotherapy.

The workshops will cover confidence, goal setting and emotional intelligence. They are for girls and boys, because Ivanova says the topics matter for both. She wants to inspire young people and help them gain confidence and belief in themselves.

Her second idea is a project with the dance group "Petlite" (The Roosters) for children deprived of parental care. It is still being planned. Through workshops and activities, Ivanova wants the children to feel accepted, grow in confidence and mix freely with others.

Her first step towards the national contest was winning the Miss Sozopol title. She says she was unsure at first about entering, because education came first for her. Then she decided to leave her comfort zone.

"You only live once, and if I don't challenge myself like this, I may regret it for the rest of my life," she told Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).

Facing her own fears was the hardest part, she said. She trained regularly for the contest, worked on her walk and stage manner, rehearsed choreography and poses, and took part in photo shoots. She also prepared mentally for any result.

Ivanova says beauty alone is not enough to leave a lasting impression. "Beauty and looks are what catch the eye. But our character, our identity and what we carry in our hearts are what really leave a mark," she said.

Drawing on her own experience and her psychology training, she wants to support young girls who doubt themselves or look for acceptance and approval. She hopes her voice will be heard and reach more young girls, that she can help and inspire them, and that she can tell more of her story.

Ivanova has a message for girls who fear they are not beautiful or confident enough: their worth does not depend on the result of one contest. What matters, she says, is to dare to try and give their best.

At 16, she went to the US on a scholarship funded by the American government. She lived with an American family and took courses in politics and leadership.

Ivanova says leaving her family and living in an unfamiliar place was hard, but she has no regrets. The experience helped her find her strength and see how much she can achieve when she faces her fears.

She later won a scholarship to study in Germany.