Hidden Road Initiative


​Meet the 2020-2021 Scholars 

College scholarships were provided to students from the villages of Shvanidzor and Akhpradzor for the 2020-2021 academic year!

Aram

Studying Philology
Armenian State Pedagogical University

Aram was born in the beautiful village of Akhpradzor, where he attended the local public school. Currently he is studying philology at the Armenian State Pedagogical University. Aram joined HRI as a volunteer camp counselor in 2019. During the 2020 war, he served as a voluntary soldier on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Arcrun

Studying Computer Programming
Vanadzor Pedagogy College

Arcrun is born and raised in the village of Akhpradzor. He studies programming and wishes to become one of the best in his field. He strongly believes that education is the key to change his village for the better and he stands as a role model for other students in the village to pursue higher education and chase their dreams. Arcrun participated in HRI camps and other projects in Akhpradzor for the past years and this year he volunteered as a teacher. ​

Armen

Studying Law 
Armenian National Agrarian University

Three years have passed since Armen  came  from the army, he  had a hard time orienting himself  in terms of profession, the field of work is not enough in the village, he fought persistently and was admitted to the university.He Participated in the sabbaticals implemented in the village, in the "Armtuz" program. In the village he will try to raise the level of awareness of the people in the issues of protection of their rights. Now he is in the borders defending our homeland.

Lilit

Studying Tourism 
Armenian Institute of Tourism 

Lilit is passionate about tourism and her dream is to boost tourism in her village Shavidzor and the Meghri region. She desires to bring more tourists to show the breathtaking scenery and introduce mouthwatering fruits of the region. She believes that her education will enable her to acquire knowledge and develop skills necessary to get more professional in her field and bring more tourists to the region and consequently create income sources for the villagers. Every summer Lilit also participates in HRI camps and actively contributes to its activities. ​

Natush

Studying Food Technology  
National Polytechnic University of Armenia

Since the most important thing for her is to be useful to her homeland in some way, she thinks it is very important to be a volunteer and try to participate in the tree planting, to participate in the cleaning of the historical and cultural monuments of the village. And she is  sure that after graduation she will return to the village and will be useful to her  village. "Every year I gladly participated in the Hidden Way initiative, during which I made new friends, learned new skills, but most importantly, I constantly felt the strength and warmth of the Diaspora."

Perchuhi

Studying Law
Gladzor University

Perchuhi dreams about becoming a lawyer and due to her hard work and determination she was admitted to law school last year. She believes that majoring in law will enable her to help her village and the country by contributing to the mission of preparing informed citizenry and villagers who know their rights. She wants to contribute to the prosperity of her village and believes that her education could play a big role in it.

Samvel

Studying Environmental Science
​Armenian National Agrarian College ​

Samvel has a love for the environment, including both nature and the animal kingdom. When Samvel found out he couldn’t serve in the army because of a medical condition, he decided to devote himself to his country in any other way that he could. Through agrarian studies he hopes to protect and preserve the village environment, and improve the health of its community members. He has participated in cleaning and protecting the local river, as well as different activities at the village church. After graduating, he hopes to use his expert knowledge to protect the forests and wild life of the region. 

Serine

Studying Geography and Archeology
Yerevan State University

Serine is passionate about Geography and Archeology and is studying at the Yerevan State University. She hopes to be able to use her studies to portray the ancient history and innovations of Armenia and Armenian people in a better light to the rest of the world. After she graduates, Serine sees herself working in the tourism industry. She sees herself showing visitors to Armenia the beauty of Syunik as she sees it. As the tourism sector in Armenia grows, Serine hopes that she can help her village grow along with that as well.

Tanya

Studying Tourism 
Armenian Institute of Tourism 

Tanya is passionate about tourism and she studies tourism management at the Armenian Institute of Tourism. Her dream is to show the world the beauty of Armenia by introducing all unique spots and sight to see beyond the traditional touristic routes in Armenia. Her brother is also a student and it is hard for her family to pay for the tuition for both and make the ends meet. She also has been an active student and volunteer during the HRI camps. In the future, she hopes to make her village a touristic destination and she believes that her village has a lot to offer to the tourists with its ancient historical sites and delicious food. During the 2020 war, Tanya voluntarily served as a soldier on the Southern border, becoming one of the very few female soldiers, and protecting Armenia against the enemy's attacks.

Tatul

Studying Information Technologies
Armenian State Pedagogical University 

Tatul loves coding and he studies IT at the Armenian State Pedagogical College. Tatul got inspired to study programming from the computer class during the HRI camp when he participated as a student. This year he joined the camp as a volunteer and led the computer class. In fact, there is no informatics teacher in the school village. He wishes to create more educational opportunities and provide quality education for students in Akhpradzor and that’s why upon graduation he decided to return to his village and become a teacher in his school.

Vahe

Studying Finance  
Armenian State University of Economics

Vahe is studying finance at ASUE. He is interested in stocks market and hopes to become one of the major figures in this field. He is very creative and smart student Vahe loves his village and he wants to use his knowledge to help his village develop. He believes that hard work and dedication will lead him to his goals . With the help of relevant knowledge and education, he aims to earn enough money and to establish a NGO or foundation, which will deal with the solution of priority problems in the village. He would also like to help students orient themselves in their future professions, to support them as much as possible, through scholarships or some other form.

Vanuhi

​Studying Tourism 
Armenian Institute of Tourism

Vanuhi is a 3rd time HRI scholar and she is very thankful to her sponsors because without the scholarship she would not have been able to attend university. She believes her major will open many opportunities for her and for increasing tourism in the region.  She hopes that by becoming a tour guide she will learn more about her village, the rich culture and history of the surrounding region and Armenia overall. As a tour guid she hopes to make southern Armenia a tourist attraction, which will promote the economy of the local towns and villages. ​​
Did you know that compared to the $14,000 per year for public school and $50,000 per year for private school tuition costs in the United States, it only costs about $1,000 for a student in Armenia to attend university?
Click here to learn how you can sponsor one of these amazing students with a $1000 scholarship!