STORY OF IMPACT : LEARNING ENGLISH IN ARTSAKH
Diana Khachatryan is an 11th grade student at Kaghartsi Secondary School in Artsakh . She has always wanted to learn English to communicate with people beyond her community . Diana ’ s language learning journey began just one year ago when Anna Arsenyan , a current Instructional-Leader and fifth-generation Alumni-Ambassador , moved to Kaghartsi village to teach English . “ One day , I saw an announcement about Teach For Armenia . I thought , this is my chance to support Artsakh and help rural communities develop ,” explained Anna , who considers teaching a personal mission . Anna joined our Leadership Development Program in 2019 and was placed in Charektar village in Artsakh , although her time there was cut short by the Artsakh war . In 2021 , Anna was part of our Emergency Education Response Team supporting displaced students from Artsakh in Kapan . Today , she is an Instructional-Leader who teaches students and coaches teachers at Kaghartsi Secondary School .
With Anna ’ s help , Diana ’ s English language skills blossomed . She started with grammar and progressed to reading books and discussing them with her classmates in
English . “ At first , I struggled with grammar . Ms . Anna showed me how to overcome the challenges and recommended different books for me to read . She helped me to grow personally and into a more critical thinker ,” said Diana , who is excited by the wide range of literature available in English .
Just one year later , Diana signed up for the Regional English Olympiad . The competition has school , regional , and national levels . In 2021 , she exceeded all expectations by becoming the Artsakh regional winner . “ I am proud of myself for winning the Regional English Olympiad . But I don ’ t want to stop there . I will work harder for even better results in the next competition ,” said Diana . For students who want to follow in her footsteps , she advises reading a lot , not being shy about speaking , setting a goal , and going for it .
“ I ’ m sure this is only the beginning for Diana ,” said Anna , who beamed with pride over her accomplishment . “ Knowledge is a weapon that students can arm themselves with to achieve their dreams and goals . By strengthening themselves every day , they ensure a brighter future for all of us .”
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