On November 6, 2024, Regina Grigoryan, project assistant of YMCA Roots for Peace program and former recipient of the YMCA Scholarship at the American University of Armenia (AUA), was elected to join “CONNECT for Change!” Steering Committee, a global network of Brot für die Welt partner organizations, scholarship holders, and alumni.
Originally from Hadrut town of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Regina moved to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, to pursue higher education in 2020. Coming from a family of farmers and healthcare providers, the sense of hard work and dedication was instilled in her since childhood. As a result, Regina decided to study business at the AUA to improve her family’s farming business and bring innovative knowledge and expertise to her hometown.
As an AUA student, Regina was exposed to a new environment with access to resources and opportunities that were limited in her own community back in Artsakh. In addition to academics, she was able to utilize her skills in the workforce, gaining experience in the field of IT as an executive assistant and a project manager.
Coming from Artsakh, Regina faced many hardships with the eruption of the 44-day war in September 2020, followed by the nine-month blockade imposed by Azerbaijan in 2022, and the large-scale offensive, which ultimately resulted in the forcible displacement of ethnic Armenians from their homeland. While this tragedy inflicted psychological trauma, it also created financial difficulties.
During her senior year, Regina became the recipient of the YMCA Generation Next Scholarship, made possible through the generous funding from Brot für die Welt. The scholarship allowed her to continue her education and focus on the possibility of a brighter future.
As a scholarship holder, she actively volunteered in the Rootsmade initiative within the framework of YMCA Roots for Peace program and contributed to her community in a meaningful way.
“Volunteering for Rootsmade helped me regain my belief in humanity. I realized that we as a community are not alone; we have supporters who act with sincerity, not out of obligation. It also helped me gain confidence in my life perspectives, reinforcing the importance and value of social work,” remarks Regina.
After graduating from AUA in 2024, Regina remained an active volunteer. Soon after, she became a staff member within the YMCA Roots for Peace program. When asked about the reason behind her decision to join the YMCA as a staff member, Regina reflected on the evaluation conference of the Generation Next program held in 2023, where she learned about Camp Europe. This inspired her to implement similar projects in Armenia and ignite a dialogue around peacebuilding for the healing and development of our nation.
In 2024, Regina was able to partake in three projects with YMCA: Campacity Conference held in Spain, Artsakh Exodus Response Camp in Georgia, as well as Roots for Peace Export Pool meeting in Albania. All these experiences provided insights into different perspectives and an opportunity for growth.
“I aspire to become as professional and passionate about my work in peacebuilding as the participants in the expert pool. My perspective on the possibility of peace shifted with this event, which was the biggest takeaway.”
Regina aims to continue working towards personal development through the YMCA and be part of positive change. With her main focus on YMCA Artsakh, she hopes to bring forth values and conflict resolution practices from Peace Work Institute and inspire the Artsakh youth to dream big despite the challenges.
