Araks

My name is Araks and I live in the city of Abovyan, Armenia with my mother, father, sister and brother. I started working when I was fourteen years old, in spite of that not being common or accepted in Armenia. At that time, all my schoolmates were playing and enjoying their young years but I was working. My father and mother were divorced during that time and the pain of that greatly affected my life. The loneliness I felt was unbearable and I even tried to commit suicide because of the severity of the problems in my family.

Late in high school I was given the opportunity to attend Young Life camp. I accepted Jesus in my life when I heard about His faithful love and immediately began serving and growing in my faith. The following summer I went back to camp on Work Crew where my personal relationship with Jesus deepened. I have learned to rely on God to help me navigate my family struggles.

Now a Developing Global Leader scholarship recipient, I am studying agronomy, the science of soil management and crop production at the Armenian National Agrarian University. I am passionate about this field of study and hope to work in greenhouses upon graduation. Once overcome with feeling isolated and lonely, it is now second nature for me to share with those around me about the ways God has impacted my life and continue reaching students through volleyball ministry and my work with kids through sports. I will be the first person in my family to graduate from university.