Bringing Fresno to Hayastan – Five Students are Studying at the American University of Armenia

Eddy Thurber
Staff Writer

Editor’s note: Five students from Fresno State are studying in Yerevan, Armenia this fall, thanks to the generosity of the Kashian Family Foundation. The students are studying for a semester at the American University of Armenia (AUA), where they have the opportunity to learn both in the classrooms as well as from their rich environment in Yerevan. The Kashian Family Foundation is providing full tuition, travel expenses, room and board in Yerevan, and in-country travel expenses.

“The Kashian Family Foundation is pleased to support the Fresno State/AUA partnership which has allowed students to study abroad in Armenia,” said Georgeanne White, President of the Kashian Family Foundation. “The experience of participating in academic courses while immersing themselves in the Armenian culture is invaluable to these students and will hopefully create lifelong memories and friendships.”

The following story from Yerevan was provided by Eddy Thurber, one of the five students studying in Yerevan.

“We have been in Armenia for almost a month and I think it is time that we introduce ourselves to all of you and share our experiences in Armenia” said Thurber.

Tyler Badua, a history major, was born in Guam and travels often to visit his family there, choosing to study abroad to experience new cultures and expand his horizons. Tyler fell in love with Armenian culture during a Masterpieces of Armenian Culture class at Fresno State and is now very excited to visit the monasteries and other historic locations he learned about in class. He is impressed by the views of sunsets and Ararat from the dorm balcony, the friendly people, and the varied styles of architecture. Tyler plans to Minor in Armenian Studies when he returns to Fresno.

Mistique Davis was born and raised in Stockton, and very active in her community where she founded “No Cap Convos,” a grassroots organization which interviews members of the community, getting to know them with tough questions. Mistique is a Kinesiology major who plans to pursue a Master’s degree and continue traveling post-graduation. She is excited to be making new connections, spending time in introspection and healing.

Victoria Avedikian is a Psychology major and plans to pursue a Master’s degree in the same field after serving in the Armenian Volunteer Corps for six months, post-graduation. Victoria grew up in the care-home her mother founded and ran it herself until she traveled to Armenia. Victoria is excited to learn Armenian in Armenia, and as a Christian to visit Holy Etchmiadzin. She believes this trip will bring humility and empathy that will greatly help her as a professional psychologist.

Mary Krdikashyan is a Forensic Behavioral Sciences major and Psychology minor with her certificate in victim services and hopes to get her PhD in the United Kingdom. Mary has always wanted to travel and the convenience of the program, cultural connection, and opportunity to explore independence in an unfamiliar environment caused her to choose this program. Like our three fellow students, she heard about the program through the emails sent out regularly by the Armenian Studies Program.

Eddy Thurber. I am a Political Science major with a Minor in Armenian Studies. I was very excited to travel to Armenia to learn Armenia, study in a new environment, and form new connections.

So far this has been a wonderful experience for the five of us as we study, make new friends, and explore Armenia. We have already have toured the Ararat Brandy Factory and sampled some of their blends, visited the pagan temple and palace ruins at Garni, explored the Monastery at Geghard, and baked Lavash. Visiting landmarks I have only heard about in stories or read about in class has been a truly surreal experience. Yerevan is an ideal city for students. Many restaurants are within easy walking distance of the dorms, not to mention grocery stores and other national landmarks such as the Cascade and the Matenadaran.

A tragic aspect of our trip is the ongoing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, a piece of which took place during our stay here. In September, Azerbaijan launched an attack on multiple cities on the internationally recognized Armenian border, with a drone shelling the city of Martuni, over 40km beyond the border, much farther into Armenia proper than had ever been affected by the fighting. With over 200 casualties on each side, I am incredibly grateful that diplomatic efforts by the United States led to a successful ceasefire. Though internationally recognized Armenian land was under Azeri control, the public statements and phone calls to the Armenian government by United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and President of France Emmanuel Macron and a public visit to Armenia by House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi are encouraging developments and the first major spotlight on Armenia by western powers.

Aside from this conflict, my experience and that of my fellow students have been extremely positive. The convenience of having so many exciting restaurants and other establishments nearby, the friendliness and expertise of the professors, and the brand-new dorm facilities have combined to make this an incredibly exciting and productive experience for me as we continue to explore this new environment and, for some of us, to have the first taste of our motherland.