The #1 Computer Science Talent in Bulgaria: How Alexandrina Mehandzhiyska Is Winning the AI Era

Video Description

In the final episode of the second season of Yapping Americano our guest is Alexandrina Mehandzhiyska. Alexandrina is the top-ranked Computer Science talent in Bulgaria (2025) and one of the most accomplished young technologists in Eastern Europe. // Filmed and edited by Egor Golovin: https://www.instagram.com/jesuisegor?igsh=d2psb2cxZjU1YTlm Interviewed by Savelii Timokhov: https://www.instagram.com/savelii_timokhov?igsh=bDh4MnFkbzV6cm1i&utm_source=qr // Alexandrina is currently studying Computer Science & Information Systems at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) with a perfect GPA (4.0), after graduating from Software University (SoftUni) with a perfect GPA (6.00). National & International Recognition #1 in Bulgaria – Talent of the Year 2025 (Computer Science & overall ranking) Top 100 Talents in Bulgaria 2025 1st place – National IT Competition (AMTIS 2023) 1st place – HackAUBG 2024 (Big Data, “MarkIt”) 4th place – National Olympiad of Information Technologies Top 100 Most Influential IT Influencers in Bulgaria (2023, 2024) Goodwaller of the Year in Computer Science (Top 10 worldwide) In one line Alexandrina Mehandzhiyska is a national champion in Computer Science, mass-scale educator, and technology leader — already operating at professional and policy-impact level while still an AUBG student. // Is a Computer Science degree becoming dangerous in the age of AI? Ten years ago, studying Computer Science was a guaranteed path to a high-paying, secure career. At universities like AUBG, it was marketed as one of the “safest” and most practical majors you could choose. In 2026, that promise is no longer guaranteed. Artificial intelligence now writes code, debugs software, generates websites, and even builds full applications in minutes. Tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, and automated DevOps systems have turned what used to be junior-level programming work into something a machine can do instantly. That creates a brutal new reality: The entry-level programmer is disappearing. And entry-level jobs are exactly what most Computer Science students depend on after graduation. The dangerous illusion The biggest danger of a CS degree today is not that it’s useless. It’s that many students are being trained for a world that no longer exists. Most Computer Science programs — including at AUBG — still focus on: Writing code from scratch Learning programming languages Solving textbook algorithm problems Building small apps manually But companies don’t pay for code anymore. They pay for systems, thinking, and results. If an AI can write 80% of the code, then the value shifts to: Who designs the product? Who understands the business problem? Who connects technology to users, markets, and money? A pure coder is becoming a commodity. A technical strategist is becoming rare. Why this matters especially at AUBG AUBG is not MIT. It does not compete by producing the world’s best algorithmic programmers. AUBG’s strength has always been liberal arts + business + international mindset. That means AUBG Computer Science students who only code are at risk. But AUBG CS students who combine: Programming Business Economics Media Policy Entrepreneurship …have a massive advantage. In the age of AI, the most powerful person in the room is not the one who knows the most syntax. It’s the one who knows what to build, for whom, and why — and can use AI to execute faster than anyone else. So is Computer Science still worth it? Yes — but only if you evolve. Computer Science is no longer about being a programmer. It’s about being a technologist. Someone who can: Use AI as a weapon, not fear it Design systems instead of writing every line Connect software to real-world power: money, politics, media, and influence If you study CS today like it’s 2015, it’s dangerous. If you study CS as the command center of the AI age, it’s one of the most powerful degrees you can get. The degree isn’t dying. The old way of using it is.