New citizen pursues dreams in AF uniform

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. William J. Sharp
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar (AFPN) --  Ivelina Konstantinova started working in a San Antonio cafeteria three days after arriving from Bulgaria, and it terrified her.

“I was afraid to speak or answer phones,” she said. “Customers would get frustrated because I couldn’t speak English well. I would have preferred they just correct my English. I really was trying. It made me feel like an outsider.”

Strong will and determination paid off, and she officially became an American citizen. To show her gratitude, she joined the Air Force about a year before Sept. 11. Afterward, she deployed to Bahrain, and later to Al Udeid. She said she is honored to be part of forces protecting world freedom.

“I wanted to serve my country, continue my education, and travel,” said Senior Airman Konstantinova, a recreation services specialist assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Services Squadron here. “The military opened doors. And even though I may not be a natural citizen, I feel proud to serve America.

“To me, living in the (United) States means anything is possible,” she said. “And now, to be fighting for a cause that involves the freedom of so many people, it makes me all the more proud to be an American.”

Konstantinova, 24, grew up in Vratsa, a northwest Bulgarian city in the foothills of the Balkan Mountains with a population of about 84,000. It is a commercial and crafts center and a railway junction. It also has textile, metal processing, chemical and ceramics industries. Life was simple and Konstantinova wanted something more.

“I wasn’t struggling, but I wasn’t well-off either,” said Konstantinova, who is deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. “I had everything I needed but not everything I wanted. I felt overly dependent on my parents. If you don’t have money, you live day (to) day.

“I had always heard the United States has never-ending opportunities,” she said. “It sounded so wonderful, especially coming from a country where it’s hard just to find a job.”

After receiving an immigrant visa, she joined her mother in San Antonio in 1997. Konstantinova encountered both language and cultural differences that first year.

“It was difficult to make friends because of a lack of things in common,” she said. “Values are different, too. Americans seem to be very busy all the time. They don’t seem to spend as much time with family and friends as I’m used to.”

She had to make other adjustments, too. As a high school senior, she found a bartender job in Vratsa that paid $20 a month -- about $1,600 less than what she makes now.

“The prices in Bulgaria are roughly the same as in the (United) States,” she said. “We have a high cost of living, but low income.”

As a Florida Metropolitan University junior, Konstantinova is pursuing a business administration degree. She hopes to earn a commission and work in the computer career field.

For about three years she has served on the base honor guard in her off-duty time.

“I love the proud expressions on the faces of families and the gratitude they share when we honor their departed loved ones at funerals,” she said. “My eyes always fill with tears.

“My service with the honor guard is another way to bring me closer to the American people -- providing service to those who’ve served before,” she said.

Konstantinova may not be American-born, but her advice about getting along with others is universal.

“I admire how Americans share closeness even though it’s a multicultural country. When something happens, it brings the country together even closer,” she said.

“I’d rather someone be honest but rude … than nice but fake,” she said. “Don’t be so worried about yourself that you quit worrying about others. Don’t ask, ‘how’s it going,’ just to be polite. Be sincerely interested in the answer. And be direct. Don’t be polite to avoid hurt feelings. I like that sort of honesty.”