Hidden Road Initiative


​Meet the 2023-2024 Scholars 

Help us provide scholarships to students from villages in Armenia and Artsakh for the 2023-2024 academic year!

​Armine Arstamyan

Studying Armenian Philology
Yerevan State University

Armine was born in the village of Poghosagomer in Artsakh. She initially enrolled at Artsakh State University, but following Azerbaijan's military attack on Artsakh and the subsequent mass exodus of the Republic, Armine needed to leave Artsakh in September 2023. As a result, she will now be pursuing her studies at Yerevan State University in the Faculty of Armenian Philology.

Armine was significantly involved in the 2021 HRI Summer Camp in Poghosagomer, and following the camp, she had a dream of establishing a Youth Center for her village. Currently, her goal is to study and work in her field, with a focus on promoting Armenian studies, particularly emphasizing the preservation of her native Artsakh's unique dialect.

Diana Khachatryan​

Studying European Languages and Communication
​Yerevan State University

Diana was born and raised in the Kaghartsi village of Artsakh. She was actively engaged in community development programs and with friends established a small reading club in her village, and this year, she moved to Yerevan this year to study at Yerevan State University. Initially, she was admitted to Artsakh State University, but since she, in September 2023, was forced to leave Artsakh, she now will study at Yerevan State University in the Faculty of European Languages and Communication. 
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Diana is an active member of HRI’s online English classes and also had the opportunity to participate in UC Berkeley’s HRI 2023 4-day Virtual Summer Camp. She very much enjoys studying new languages and is confident that she will use her profession to inform the international community about Artsakh.​

Knar Khachatryan

Studying European Languages and Communication 
Yerevan State University

Knar was born and raised in the Kolkhozashen village of Artsakh, moving to Yerevan this year to study at Yerevan State University. Her passion lies in exploring diverse languages and cultures, forming the motivation for her to enroll in the European Languages and Communication program at Yerevan State University.
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Knar is an active member of HRI’s online English classes and also had the opportunity to participate in UC Berkeley HRI 4-day 2023 Virtual Camp. In accomplishing her professional endeavors, she aspires to promote the Armenian culture on a global aspect and elevate Armenia as the next magnificent hub for tourism.

Nazeli Bedyan

Studying Information Technology  
National Polytechnic University of Armenia

Nazeli was born in Ghazarahogher village of Artsakh. She is interested in programming and was active in Artsakh's community as a participat in the Artsakh STEM science festival and student of the TUMO center. She was admitted to Artsakh State University, but unfortunately, following the collapse of the Republic of Artsakh in September 2023, Nazeli was forced to leave Artsakh. She will study at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia in the Faculty of Information Technology. 

Nazeli was actively involved in the 2021 HRI Summer Camp in Poghosagomer and her great participation in that camp earned her a position as one of the STEM instructors during UC Berkeley's HRI 4-day virtual camp. Her ultimate goal is to establish a large IT company where she can provide free IT education opportunities to children not only from Artsakh but also from various parts of Armenia.

Lala Avetisyan

Studying General Medicine and Nursing 
​Medical College Named After Pharmacist-Artist Levon Sargsyan

Lala Avetisyan was born in Makenis, Armenia, a small village that faces various challenges. She is currently pursuing her secondary education in General Medicine and Nursing at the Medical College Named After Pharmacist-Artist Levon Sargsyan. Despite having a disadvantaged background, Lala is determined to become a nurse to be able to provide care in her border village as they lack access to a primary care physician. Her goal is to positively impact the healthcare accessibility in her village with her future profession. 

Upon completing her college studies, Lala plans to further her education at a University in order to enhance her professional skills and competitiveness in her field. She has actively participated in HRI summer camps throughout the years, and in 2023, was selected to be part of the student body of the Akhpradzor Youth Center. There, she volunteered to lead and establish a dance group, growing her role to also conduct 12 dance classes at the Youth Center. 
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Lala is an ardent student of HRI’s online English classes conducted via Zoom, consistently practicing and advancing her English speaking skills. Her ultimate goal is to establish a hospital in her hometown of Makenis, thereby fulfilling her dream of improving the healthcare accessibility of village members and improving the health equity of her immediate community.

Lilit Manukyan

Studying Economy Regulation
​​Armenian State University of Economics​

Lilit Manukyan is from the Akhpradzor village and is currently pursuing her secondary education at the Armenian State University of Economics, specializing in economic regulation and International Economic Relations. Now embarking on her second year, she aspires to become an economist and intends to apply her professional skills and knowledge to her native village. Being her family’s sole child, Lilit is conscientious in supporting her parents, taking it upon herself to work part-time alongside her extensive university studies . She has been an active member of HRI summer camps since 2011, being one of the members of the administrative team this past year. 
For her Henry Keledjian Service Program project, Lilit initiated the first-ever Akhpradzor Quest, an interactive game designed to showcase the beauty of Akhpradzor to participants from both Armenia and the Diaspora. Her goal was to attract tourists to the area and collect books for the Akhpradzor Youth Center. To learn more about her project, click here.

Laura Manukyan

Studying Journalism
Yerevan State University

Laura Manukyan is from Makenis village and currently resides with her parents and younger brother. She is an adept student of journalism at Yerevan State University with aspirations to establish herself as a highly skilled professional in her given field. In addition to her studies, Laura also has an interest in Human Resource Management (HR), in which she works part-time directly, enabling her strong management skills. Presently, she dreams of studying abroad, a goal she works towards with her ambition of studying new languages, namely English. She has also participated in HRI’s English classes and summer camps, the latter in which she served as a vital support crew member this past year. During her Henry Keledjian Service Program project, Laura undertook the task of procuring laboratory chemical supplies and equipment for her local Makenis school. In collaborating with the local Chemistry teacher, she aimed to promote hands-on learning and experimentation as well as foster a deep appreciation for science within her school community. For more information about her project, please click here.

Tatul Abrahamyan

Studying Information Technologies
Armenian State Pedagogical University 

Tatul grew up in the village of Akhpradzor. He comes from a big family consisting of two brothers and a sister as well as his parents, who are agriculturalists by occupation. Tatul has a deep passion for coding and is currently pursuing an education in IT at the Armenian State Pedagogical University. Tatul’s interest in programming was sparked after his own exposure to computer classes offered during HRI Summer Camp when he was a student. Following that, in 2019, he returned to the camp as a volunteer, taking charge of teaching the computer class. Tatul’s ultimate goal is to enhance the educational opportunities for the students of Akhpradzor and provide high-quality education to them. With this in mind, for his Henry Keledjian Service Program project, Tatul founded and currently runs the Akhpradzor Youth Center with the aim of improving the students’ learning, college readiness, and leadership skills. Just within a few weeks, the center became a vital hub in the Gegharkunik region. As the director of the center and educational programming, he has been working to improve the students’ speaking skills in Armenian by facilitating debates, games, and discussions. Click here to find out more.

Vrezh Baxtiaryan

Studying Jurisprudence
Yerevan Agricultural University

Vrezh Bakhtiaryan was born in 1992 in Shvanidzor village, found in the region of Syunik. Vrezh dealt with challenges early on in life, beginning when his father passed away unexpectedly when he was just ten years old, preventing him from completing his education beyond the eighth grade. Nevertheless, he persevered and in subsequent years, managed to gain admission to Meghri State College, where he successfully completed his studies in the field of Accounting. In 2021, Vrezh embarked on a new academic journey, enrolling in the Law Faculty at Yerevan Agricultural University. Simultaneously, Vrezh is a dedicated serviceman in the Armenian Armed Forces as a driver since 2015, operating as a contract soldier. In the time of his service, he actively participated in the forty-four-day war and has since received several awards and recognitions for his heroic contributions. Outside of his professional life, Vrezh is married and has two sons. His vision and hope is to see a united, strong, independent, and unbeatable Armenia, a nation that his sons may help build and shape in the future.

Serine Poghosyan

Studying Service and Tourism, MA
Yerevan State University

Serine is from Shvanidzor village, located in the Syunik region. She is a graduate of Yerevan State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Tourism as a Service Specialist. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in the same vocation at Yerevan State University. In addition to her academic pursuits, she is actively engaged in the real estate industry, in which she is consistently honing and developing her business skills. Serine’s career aspirations lie in the realm of tourism, where she envisions herself showcasing Armenia’s stunning attractions to visitors from around the world. For over a year, she has also been contributing to HRI’s initiatives as a Program Assistant. As part of her Henry Keledjian Scholar Service Program project, Serine initiated a mentorship program aimed at guiding the “At-Risk” Youth of Akhpradxor village through the college admission process. In this program, she provided mentorship to help these young individuals through the college admission process regarding their careers and educational paths. Her efforts came to fruition as two girls successfully graduated and embarked on careers at the Akhpradzor Youth Center, in addition to launching their own private businesses