For Oganes Mesropian and Gayane Karapetyan, establishing a named scholarship at the American University of Armenia (AUA) meant setting an example for their two children to be grateful for their blessings and remember to pay forward the gift of education. Fittingly named after their children, the Ani & Gor Mesropian Scholarship will play a pivotal role in providing students with access to an AUA education, empowering them to pursue their academic goals without the financial burden of tuition.
Gayane Karapetyan was born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia. She attended university, majoring in psychology and education, and came to the United States at 22 as an exchange student. Recounting her story, she speaks about her aspiration to continue her education at AUA when she returned to Armenia. However, her life took an alternate path after she met Oganes Mesropian and stayed in the United States. Mesropian, a successful entrepreneur, also emigrated to the United States from Armenia when he was 16 years old. Together, Mesropian and Karapetyan established a family and had two children, Gor, currently 15 and in high school, and Ani, a new high school graduate with plans to attend the University of California, San Diego to study biology, then pursue a degree in medicine.
Evidently, higher education plays a central role for the Mesropians and, as Gayane notes, helping others attain their full potential in education is particularly meaningful to her since she wasn’t able to fully realize her educational goals. “It was a dream come true to be able to support students in Armenia. We wanted to set a good example for our children, hence why we named the scholarship after them, hoping it will inspire them to help others in the future,” Karapetyan says.
Oganes Mesropian & Gayane Karapetyan at AUA with their scholarship recipients (Nov. 2021)
In November 2021, Mesropian and Karapetyan visited AUA and met the first recipients of the Ani & Gor Mesropian scholarship, Simon Galstyan (BSCS ‘25) and Hasmik Sahakyan (BSDS ‘25). This introduction was an emotional experience for them as they personally witnessed the results of what they have planted at AUA and were truly grateful for the opportunity and impressed by the students’ intelligence. The occasion was equally rewarding for the scholarship recipients:
 |
“Meeting my scholarship donors was very exciting. I’d like to think that I made new friends with whom I can share my future achievements. Their support meant everything to me, without which I would not have been able to pursue my education at AUA. The University has changed my life. I will continue to work hard and gain new experiences in the coming year and will always be grateful for their generosity.” Simon Galstyan, BS in Computer Science ‘25շ |
 |
“The scholarship means more than I can express in words. Strangers, who knew nothing about me, were willing to make an investment by believing in me. Their support will help me achieve my goals and, ultimately, contribute to my country. Meeting them alone made me realize the responsibility I have. I’d love to be able to support a student in the future.” Hasmik Sahakyan, BS in Data Science ‘25 |
Looking forward to the future of AUA, Mesropian and Karapetyan are encouraged by the University’s efforts to enhance science and engineering education, which they believe will significantly contribute to improving the quality of life of the local population, strengthen national defense, and globally advance Armenian society.
For more information on establishing a named scholarship at AUA, please contact the AUA Office of Development at [email protected].
