What is the prerequisite for having a developed, prosperous, and safe country? Some would say having access to abundant natural resources. Others would think of strong international relations. My experience has shown that it’s the people.

To fully tap into the vast potential of each individual in our country, it is crucial to address the significant barrier of limited access to essential resources for academic success. I encountered this problem when I finished my undergraduate studies in 2019 and did my 2-year military service at one of the border villages of Armenia, Meghri. Here I noticed talented teenagers in the local school lacking resources for computer science education. I could relate to these children – battling between a strong motivation to learn and a drastic lack of resources. My friend and I came up with the idea of creating extracurricular courses to enhance students’ computer literacy in underprivileged communities. Although our proposal got labeled as unrealistic, we finally got the approval to kickstart the “Soldier as a Teacher” program after four months of writing weekly letters to the Ministry of Education advocating the importance of programming lessons for students. We purchased computers and fixed the leaky roof of the classroom with the help of a public fundraiser. The result was over 60 students benefiting from free courses – progressing from learning how to type on a keyboard to constructing automated watering systems for their family-owned field crops. Today, seeing my students entering colleges reminds me how big of an impact a little act of care can have on others’ lives. I still keep in touch with most of my students, providing guidance on key issues such as advancing their careers, securing jobs or research positions, and enhancing their profiles for university admissions. One of my short-term objectives is to broaden this network, equipping students with all the essential resources, connections, and advice they need to take the next step in their careers that aligns with their personal goals and the needs of our country.

In addition to leading the “Soldier as a Teacher” program, during my military service, I served as a key member of the core team overseeing the “Unit 1991” program, specifically managing one of its three education centers. “Unit 1991”, modeled after Israel’s famous army pillar “Unit 8200”, is a specialized unit within the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, focused on conducting scientific research to address medium and long-term military challenges. As part of this initiative, I organized sessions at the local school in Meghri, where I taught prospective conscripts fundamentals of data science and artificial intelligence.

Later, although both of my projects were forced to be paused because I had to leave to go to the 44-Day Nagorno-Karabakh War, the students had gained enough momentum to carry out the rest of the curriculum using online resources. Being part of the war was a wake-up call for me, the proof of Armenia’s need to invest in its scientific development to prevent the recurrence of such conflicts. It reminded me of the crucial role each person plays in this mission.

I firmly believe that to be able to make big-scale changes with the potential to shape the future of the country, one needs to be in an environment of excellence and collaborate with top professionals. This is why it was crucial for me to join Dr. Sos Agaian, a Distinguished Professor at CUNY, in his Computer Vision lab at Yerevan State University as a researcher. Currently, we are working on anomaly detection in solar panels, which is estimated to be a $373 billion market by 2029. Thus, specializing in this research early on gives Armenia the headstart to become a successful player in the field and boost the economic development of the country. The electrical engineering program at Columbia University includes courses on Digital Signal Processing, Machine Learning, and Computer Vision taught by globally recognized professors. Enrolling in these courses will significantly enhance my expertise and markedly advance my research in solar panels.

Witnessing firsthand the transformative power of education in Meghri, and confronting the stark realities of warfare has profoundly reinforced my awareness of each individual’s role in our country’s development. This is one of the reasons why I have decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at Columbia University, where I will focus on further improving my knowledge of Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence. With the skills and network I aim to acquire, my ultimate goal is to play my part in the scientific development of Armenia.

I am aware that Huys Foundation is granting the Huys Scholarship to me with the anticipation of my good faith pursuit and implementation of the projects and undertakings described in this letter, to which I hereby commit.