“Injustice, illegitimacy and the violation of human rights have been unacceptable for me since childhood. When it was time for me to choose my profession after graduating from school, I realized that I could fight against those defective phenomena through diplomacy.” This is what Astghik Hakobyan, who moved from Armenia to the United States of America for study purposes and got accepted to the Department of Political Science and International Affairs of Glendale Community College, said in an interview with Hayern Aysor.

In the course of her studies, Astghik served as President of the Armenian Student Association of California for a year. She is also in close collaboration with various Armenian organizations and works with them to help foreigners recognize Armenia.

Astghik says Armenia is definitely going to be in the focus of her activities in the future. No matter where she lives, she will put in all her efforts to have a strong and secure Armenia.

During the four-day Artsakh war in April, she and Armenian students also took steps to provide assistance to Artsakh. They organized a fundraiser, and Astghik will be taking all the proceeds and hand them to the residents of villages in Artsakh.

Besides the fundraiser, they raised other students’ awareness about the situation created in Artsakh as a result of Azerbaijan’s aggressive military operations so that the foreigners wouldn’t receive misinformation.

As a future diplomat, Astghik believes the ultimate solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue depends on the consolidation of the Armenian people and the increase in the level of national awareness and that only after that will we Armenians achieve the final victory.

“Participating in the first “Armenia. Create Together” youth forum, which was organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora, in association with the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Luys Foundation and Ayb Foundation, provided me with a lot of information related to my profession. It would be hard for me to receive the answers to my questions of concern in the USA.

The speakers and professionals of various spheres helped me a lot. They gave me many new ideas and proposals,” Astghik Hakobyan concluded.

Gevorg Chichyan