Vildan Yılmaz, an 88-year-old retired teacher who came to Türkiye from Bulgaria during the 1989 forced migration, reflected on her teaching career and the meaning of Teachers’ Day. Despite undergoing surgery and chemotherapy in recent years, she regained her health and continues to cherish her years in the classroom.
Arriving in Edirne in 1989, Yılmaz resumed teaching after 34 years of experience in Bulgaria and worked in Türkiye until her retirement in 2000. Supported today by her daughter, she says she still remembers her students with affection.
Yılmaz said she will never forget arriving in Türkiye, recalling how officials reassured migrating families that their rights would be protected. She later continued teaching at İstiklal School and then Meriç Primary School, where she worked for 12 years.
She added that many of her former students still keep in touch. “I loved my job, and my students loved me,” she said. With Teachers’ Day approaching, she advised young educators to “love their profession and work with sincerity.”
Özlem Ceylan
Prev
1 of 6
Next