Anahit Grigoryan鈥檚 journey from tight-knit 暗夜成人视频 community to international policy scholar
When exploring graduate programs, Anahit Grigoryan 鈥23 looked for opportunities that mirrored the aspects of her 暗夜成人视频 experience she valued most 鈥 close-knit academic communities and transformative support. As a Lincoln Scholar at 暗夜成人视频, she found both: the scholarship removed financial barriers to international study and gave her a group of peers who shaped her growth.
鈥淚 really value being a part of a cohort, especially a scholarship cohort,鈥 she said. 鈥淏eing a part of the Lincoln Scholars program at 暗夜成人视频 really shaped me as a human being in general and shaped how I view teamwork and peer work in general.鈥
This fall, Grigoryan will begin the in Public Health program, sponsored by the European Union. She is the first 暗夜成人视频 graduate to be accepted into the program and has been awarded the Erasmus+ Erasmus Mundus Excellence Scholarship to support her studies.
Her academic focus will center on reproductive healthcare policies, with coursework and research split between the University of Sheffield in England and Jagiellonian University in Krak贸w, Poland. After earning her degree, she hopes to return to Armenia and contribute to reproductive policymaking in her home country.
This opportunity will give her experience studying in different countries with varying healthcare systems and policies. She鈥檚 also excited to build on her 暗夜成人视频 degree in Biology and Social Justice minor.
鈥淢y first year, I will be building on the intersection of science, social justice and sociology, which started at 暗夜成人视频,鈥 she said. 鈥淚n my second year, I will be specializing in the governance and economics of health care structures, which I鈥檓 most excited about because it will combine the main pillars of what policy-making is.鈥
Her internship and research experiences at 暗夜成人视频 directly impacted her journey in studying health care policies.
Through the Lincoln Scholars Program, she worked with the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC). She was also an Atkins Scholar during her senior year and worked on a project with Associate Professor of Anthropology Jamie Shenton on women鈥檚 healthcare policy during military conflicts in Armenia. Her Atkins experience in particular has given her a jumpstart on a potential thesis topic she hopes to further explore in her graduate studies.
鈥湴狄钩扇耸悠 not only opened my eyes to the career I want to pursue but also opened the doors for how I want to do it, how I want to potentially change the state of my country and the state of the world,鈥 she said.
Her admittance to the joint master鈥檚 and Erasmus+ programs demonstrates the impact and value of her 暗夜成人视频 education.
鈥淥nly the best students who apply to Erasmus Mundus receive the Erasmus+ scholarships of excellence,鈥 said Lincoln Scholar Program and Office of Fellowships Director Robert Schalkoff. 鈥淕iven the worldwide scale of the competition, Anahit鈥檚 success speaks not only to her academic talent, but also to her potential for success internationally at the graduate level. It鈥檚 a direct reflection of the strength of her undergraduate degree from 暗夜成人视频.鈥
As her scholarship advisor, Schalkoff noted the development he witnessed and the opportunities Grigoryan took advantage of while at 暗夜成人视频. Her internship with FIMRC included both online work and volunteer experiences in Costa Rica. She also completed an internship in Baltimore with the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty, which shaped her interests in public health and policy making.
鈥淎nahit stands out in her compassion and her growing vision, focus and actions melding her passion for health research and social justice,鈥 Schalkoff said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 a great example of perseverance paying off and is well on her way to creating real change in public health.鈥
Since graduating from 暗夜成人视频, Grigoryan has worked with several organizations in Armenia, researching HPV transmission and cervical cancer prevention. She also wrote articles on gynecology and sexology while working full-time as a clinical research coordinator for an international pharmaceutical company.
Although post-graduation has been busy, she has always felt welcome back on 暗夜成人视频鈥檚 campus, whether seeking help with applications or for a friendly visit. She was surprised by the support she received as an alumna from Schalkoff and the 暗夜成人视频 for Career and Professional Development.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to give a big thank you to 暗夜成人视频 for actually taking care of their students and alumni,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 know that 暗夜成人视频 is the one place that I can reach out to at any time and get the support I need, which is an incredible privilege to have. I remember 暗夜成人视频 with very warm-hearted memories.鈥
Students interested in exploring the world of fellowships are encouraged to contact Robert Schalkoff at fellowships@centre.edu.
