For Marianna Sargsyan, 32, rebuilding her life in Yerevan was never just about survival. It was about creating a future, not only for herself but for her two young children, 5-year-old Mark and 4-year-old Mikael.
A law graduate with a promising career in Stepanakert, Artsakh, Marianna had once felt secure in her path. But war turned her world upside down. Forced to flee her home, she arrived in Yerevan with nothing but uncertainty and the weight of responsibility on her shoulders.
Still, she pressed forward. She found work at the Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia—far from her legal background. But as days turned into weeks, something unexpected happened.
“I never thought I’d be drawn to science, but as I learned more, I realized it was something I wanted to pursue,” she reflects.
Then, she discovered Armenia’s first-ever Master’s program in Biodiversity and Conservation at the Institute of Botany. For the first time in a long time, she saw a future she could be excited about. But one obstacle remained—money.
“I thought about applying, but when I saw the tuition fees, I realized it was out of my reach,” she admits. “Rebuilding our life in a new city was already overwhelming, and the idea of adding education fees on top of that seemed like an unreachable dream.”
But then, hope arrived. The FAR Mathevosian Scholarship didn’t just give Marianna the chance to study—it gave her the opportunity to transform her future.
“This scholarship gave me a chance to follow my passion. Without FAR, I wouldn’t have been able to gain a new profession. Environmental laws and regulations are critical to the work of conservation, and my background helps me see these issues from a different lens,” she explains. “But biodiversity is a whole new world for me, and I’m excited to contribute to it in ways I never imagined.”
Today, Marianna is one of six students in this pioneering program, studying in the newly established Graduate Research Center at the Institute of Botany. Opened in December 2024 with FAR’s support, this state-of-the-art center is equipping students with the tools to shape Armenia’s future in biodiversity conservation.