TUMO’s students and alumni are taking the skills and confidence that they gain at TUMO and blazing trails in Armenia and beyond. Today, TUMO is excited to share alumnus Hayk Kocharyan’s story.
At TUMO, Hayk has done it all – student, learning coach, info desk coordinator, developer. Currently, the 22-year-old serves in the Armenian army, stationed at a base in the municipality of Agarak in Syunik Province. In addition to his responsibilities as a serviceman, he launched an initiative that extends the opportunities he received at TUMO to the young people of Agarak. He teamed up with other soldiers to create an educational program that teaches local teens coding and how to use creative software. He hopes to take this educational program to every military base in Armenia – allowing soldiers to learn new skills and help the communities they serve in.
The program is open to eighth through twelfth graders. Classes are held at the local school twice a week, which students attend voluntarily and for free. It has two tracks – “Everything I Learned at TUMO,” covering Adobe Photoshop, SketchUp and Unity, and a year-long programming course introducing students to HTML, CSS, WordPress, JavaScript, and HTTP protocol. Students who excel in the regular coursework are invited to work on additional, hands-on projects during the week.
“Some of Armenia’s brightest young people are right here in Agarak. They’re hungry to learn. They all attend our class on their own initiative,” said Hayk, enthusiastically. “There’s Smbat, who can solve a Rubik’s Cube in seven seconds, and Levon, who, I’m convinced, will be a world-renowned programmer when he overcomes his shyness.”
After completing his military service, Hayk plans on continuing his education. He’s interested in artificial intelligence and information technology, the importance of which he discovered at TUMO and in the army. “I might even return to TUMO to fill the few jobs that I haven’t done yet,” he said with a chuckle.
Help TUMO shape more young people like Hayk by bringing the TUMO educational experience to every teen in Armenia.
BRAVO