AUA’s 2013 Vartkess M. Balian Merit Award Goes to Kristine Goroyan

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YEREVAN – The Vartkess M. Balian Merit Award, given each year to a first-year master’s student of the American University of Armenia (AUA),  was presented this year to Kristine Goroyan from the MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (MA TEFL) program.

At the end of every academic year, AUA selects a single student with an outstanding academic record, who is also an active participant in community service projects, to receive this prestigious award. The Vartkess M. Balian Merit Award is a financial grant which covers the recipient’s full tuition for the remaining academic year.

Goroyan says, “It is a great honor for me to receive this prestigious award. At the same time, it is a great responsibility. It obliges me to work harder and to try to be not only a good student, but also a better citizen of my country.”

In addition to her superior academic performance at AUA, Goroyan has previously been involved in environment-related service projects, such as the Save Teghut initiative. She has also been involved in a number of NGOs and was engaged in civic projects such as the Children of Armenia Fund and Democracy Starts with You. These activities have given her experience in raising public awareness of human, civil, and political rights.

Goroyan is passionate about making a difference in the Armenian educational system and aspires to work with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to accomplish her goals.

Says Goroyan, “There are so many things that we can do for Armenia. It’s just a matter of realizing that we are the owners of our country and we are capable of much more than we think.”

AUA’s Kristine Goroyan, recipient of the 2013 Vartkess M. Balian Merit Award

 

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.