“ Imagine if other children like me had the opportunity to unlock their potential . If we give our children the chance to spread their wings and fly , Armenia and Artsakh will have a brighter , more prosperous future . The future is in our hands .”
I am from Karinj , a small village in the Lori region . Growing up , I remember how our school did not have an English teacher , until that all changed one day in 2015 . Ani Harutyunyan moved to our village from Yerevan as a Teach For Armenia Teacher- Leader . Finally , we had an English teacher ! Miss Harutyunyan helped me discover my potential not just as a student , but also as a leader . After two years , Miss Harutyunyan completed the Leadership Development Program , but before she left Karinj , she told me that she was sure my path would cross with Teach For Armenia again . Miss Harutyunyan was right .
When I graduated from college , I asked myself , “ As someone who has experienced educational inequity firsthand , how can I give children opportunities that I didn ’ t have ?” Teach For Armenia provided the answer . After being taught by a Teacher-Leader myself , my experience came full circle when I joined the Leadership Development Program in 2021 . Today , I write to you as a Teacher-Leader of Armenian language and literature in Ararat region ’ s Sis village . I love my job . Every day , I enter my classroom with a renewed sense of purpose . Through my own example , I want to show students that they can shape their lives and impact others . When my students win , I win . In all of their achievements , I see my small contribution in making them possible .
In December 2021 , Teach For Armenia awarded me a scholarship to study Armenian language and literature at Shirak State University in memory of Alen Margaryan . Alen , who worked at the TUMO Center of Creative Technologies , was passionate about education and a friend of Teacher For Armenia . He was killed in the 2020 Artsakh war and awarded the “ Hero of Artsakh ” and “ Golden Eagle ” medals posthumously . “ Let Alen ’ s light become a beacon for our future generations and let education illuminate their path ,” said Alen ’ s mother Nazeli Terteryan , who worked with Teach For Armenia to establish the scholarship . Receiving the award has made me feel even more responsibility as a Teacher-Leader . By working in education , I hope to fulfill the mission that Alen and I shared – increasing educational opportunities for students in Armenia and Artsakh .
I was once a student who , inspired by my Teacher-Leader , now also works in education . Imagine if other children like me had the opportunity to unlock their potential . If we give our children the chance to spread their wings and fly , Armenia and Artsakh will have a brighter , more prosperous future . The future is in our hands .
Seda Mkhitaryan 7th Generation Teacher-Leader Sis village , Ararat region
Annual Report 2021
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