I always knew that I look like my grandmother, but she does not look like a typical Armenian. I am Polish by birth but Armenian by heritage. My parents originally moved to Poland because of the collapse of Soviet Union. There was also war and after living in Poland for three years we moved back to our home country. So, most of my life I lived in Armenia; I grew up there and went to Russian schools, which was considered elite. I have spent most of my life in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, but I hope when I move back, I would like to live elsewhere in the country given my love for hiking.

Prior to coming to Duke, I worked with children [and] teachers. There is continuous conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, there is a current stalemate. During the 44-day war in 2020 I was working with the Ministry of Education, Science Culture and Sports. I was coordinating the hotlines, trying to find shelter for displaced peoples. I was also teaching civics and history to those who were out of school because of war and displacement. Even now, I am still dealing with my trauma.

This past semester Azerbaijan invaded Armenia again, it was [only] for four days, but I felt terrible. But one of my professors, told me that I have one job now: it is to study well so that later, I can have a greater impact on my country. Fortunately, my family is resilient. Living in conflict made my family and people to get used to its existence and just live with it, in conflict or war.

This is why I am furthering my education in the U.S. At times, [back home] I did feel worried, as I fought for human rights. I was taken to the police station, but I know I am fighting against the shadow of the former Soviet Union. It is about believing in a future that is more Democratic, where people exercise their rights and freedoms. A country where children are not suffering because of poverty and are getting quality education and opportunities. I hope to work with an international organization when I return to Armenia. In the meantime, I will use my time during Duke to expand and learn more about how to tackle childhood poverty. – Goharik Tigranyan #MIDP #HumansofDukeSanford