My students and I sat in the grass on the hills of Herher, a tiny village in the mountains of Artsakh where I worked as a teacher during the blockade. Vardan, 12, asked me to translate the bright writing on my socks.

“Teachers change the world,” that’s what was written on my socks.

“But it is a lie, Miss Nina. "

"Why?”

Vardan looked at me, then at the distant mountains with azerbaijani flags that were occupied two years ago, and said,

“If you are the ones to change the world, why do we have wars then?”

I choked, barely holding back my tears. I thought about all my students sitting near me, all of whom had lived through a war, lost loved ones, felt hunger, sat in cold classrooms last winter, dreamed of having something sweet to eat, lost their childhoods, and were not guilty of what was happening around them.

My Goals

Hello, my name is Nina, I am a 24-year-old educator from Stepanakert, Artsakh. During the past years, I have been working as a teacher in the bordering villages of Artsakh, and that experience totally shifted my value system. Working with children exposed me to the extent of purity and honesty I have not experienced before, and I learned to put aside personal interests and work towards gifting our children the country and childhood they truly deserve.

After working as a teacher I built a belief that I am capable of scaling up and bringing positive change in the whole educational landscape of Armenia and building a system based on the values of honesty, strength, and love for our homeland.

I have applied and been admitted to a 2-year MA program in International Educational Development at Columbia University, which is the number one graduate school of education in the US! My degree, focused on education in conflict regions, will teach me strategies, methods, and policymaking skills to implement correct reforms in the education system in Armenia to tailor it to our children's needs.

As an Ivy League school, Columbia has an enormous tuition fee, and the cost of living in New York is even higher, that is why I need your support to cover my tuition and living expenses. 

About Me

Before jumping forward, here is a small story about how I even got interested in education and why I think with the right skill set and knowledge I can do great things!

After the devastating war in 2020, I reconsidered my decision to become a film director and applied to Teach for Armenia, an organization aiming to provide excellent education to all the children of Armenia. Right after my graduation in 2021, I moved to Aghavno, a small struggling village between Artsakh, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

AGHAVNO

During my year there, the plight of Aghavno slowly unfolded before my eyes. Looking back, I understand why no one from the government cared about the school lacking a heating system, proper electricity, or a library. I understand why no one cared about a family of 9, where the parents constantly abused their children. I understand why it took me months to arrange a bus to transport the Aghavno children to study at Tumo Stepanakert. I understand how the constant presence of Azerbaijani troops and military vehicles heavily impacted my students' mental health. I understand why parents did not allow their children to play outside after 6 PM.

Aghavno was destined for decline, though I was unaware at the time. I acted as I believed was right.

Aghavno was occupied by azerbaijan in 2022, so I had to move to another village.

HERHER

Herher was a heaven on Earth, located in the depths of the mountains, with a bonded community and a simple way of life. Three months after moving there the blockade started, and the rest of the year was a mixture of struggle and total happiness. Together with a wonderful female-led NGO Kooyrigs, we have raised ~$14,000 which we used to organize so many projects for Herher kids, and also help some of the families after the displacement.

If you want to know more about me and my values, you can

1) listen to my podcast, which I started recording during the blockade

2) follow my Instagram blog, where I share a lot about our life in Artsakh and current issues.

Support Me

To obtain a US student visa I need to provide proof of funding of $83,000 (tuition and living expenses) by July 15th. While I have applied to dozens of scholarships, not all of the results are available yet, but I will add them upon receiving them. I also am eligible for a university scholarship, the results of which will be available in September, way past my visa deadline. Any additional money will be forwarded towards the tuition of my second year of studies.

I have a small amount of personal savings that will cover the rest of my expenses not covered by the crowdfunding.

You can access my admission letter and budget through this link.

The budget is counted based on the official website information of Columbia University.

You can support me via the reArmenia platform or

AMIOBANK NINA SHAHVERDYAN

Account number

EUR: 1150017590140171

USD: 1150004565395302

AMD: 1150004510430448

For transfers from Russia

Получатель: Есаян Диана Айковна

Номер счета: 40817810038065782654

Банк получателя: ПАО Сбербанк

Номер карты: 2202202659073930

THANK YOU