From Artsakh to New York, and then back to Armenia!
Goal: 68,185.24 USD
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⭐️ TOP DONORS
⭐️ Anonymous donor
7,766,600 AMD
⭐️ Anonymous donor
4,659,960 AMD
⭐️ Anonymous donor
2,912,475 AMD
⭐️ Anonymous donor
1,459,000 AMD
⭐️ Lusine Sargsyan
773,700 AMD
Donors
Anonymous donor
10 days ago⭐️ Anonymous donor
10 days ago⭐️ Anonymous donor
10 days ago⭐️ Anonymous donor
10 days agoAnonymous donor
12 days agoMy 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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
Dear everyone,
I want to thank each and every one of you for believing in me. In this short time, we have managed to reach the first goal and cover the first term of my studies at Columbia🎉! Moreover, we are just 22% away from reaching the second goal, which will cover the full tuition amount for my first year at Columbia.
I couldn't be more grateful for your support and dedication to my dream, and I promise that I will not disappoint your expectations🤗.
These past few days, I've been amazed by the number of people around the globe who, despite not knowing me personally, have cared for me, rooted for me, and helped me get to where I am now. This level of support has made me realize how strong we can be when we come together, and how natural it is for human beings to care for each other.
A Small Story
Four days ago, I got stuck in an old Soviet elevator. Due to the psychological pressure of the past year, I couldn't handle it well. I called the taxi driver who was waiting for me on the street, intending to cancel the ride, but my voice trembled and I started to cry out of fear of the pitch darkness and potential danger😢.
The taxi driver, surprised by the situation, said to me, "How can I leave you when you're feeling so sad?" He found our building, climbed 12 flights of stairs to find the building manager, and assisted in opening the elevator to get me out. He then took me to a water fountain to calm down and drink water before ensuring I reached my destination safely, talking with me the entire way.
"Daughter," he said, "how could I leave you in such a state? You don't push people away when you need help. You ask for it."
⚡️Upon reaching my destination, the taxi driver refused to leave until I had finished what I needed to do to safely escort me home. After some convincing, he finally drove off, leaving me with immense gratitude for a person I had never seen before and may never see again.
In the days since I've thought about him a lot. During our journey, he shared stories about his life, including difficult family events and his struggles to be a good person and parent to his kids.
From what I gathered from his stories, he is a person with the widest soul and the kindest heart. That day, he taught me the importance of being open to the world and truly caring about the people around me, whether they are strangers or not.
Thank you all for being there for me. I deeply appreciate it and I will act that way myself.
Best regards,
Nina❤️
From Artsakh to New York, and then back to Armenia!
Goal: 68,185.24 USD
1
2
3
4
⭐️ TOP DONORS
⭐️ Anonymous donor
7,766,600 AMD
⭐️ Anonymous donor
4,659,960 AMD
⭐️ Anonymous donor
2,912,475 AMD
⭐️ Anonymous donor
1,459,000 AMD
⭐️ Lusine Sargsyan
773,700 AMD
Donors
Anonymous donor
10 days ago⭐️ Anonymous donor
10 days ago⭐️ Anonymous donor
10 days ago⭐️ Anonymous donor
10 days agoAnonymous donor
12 days ago