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The International Summer School at Armenia’s Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory enables school students interested in science to interact with world-famous scientists, attend lectures delivered by them and, most importantly, acquaint themselves with astronomic instruments and the largest telescope in the region.

This time, the summer school has brought 18-year-old Mary Sargsyan to Armenia. Mary, who is currently living in Moscow, is going to become an astrophysicist.

“I am happy to have managed to visit Armenia and spend a few days in Byurakan,” Mary said, speaking to Panorama.am.

Mary, who has also had an opportunity to interact with the scientists of the sphere in Moscow, said that she attended school in Yerevan until the seventh grade. Afterwards, she moved to Sweden together with her family, where she clearly made up her mind to pursue an astrophysicist’s profession.

“I have visited Armenia to get acquainted with the local science. In Byurakan, I had the opportunity to witness the work of the scientists, I talked to them and attended the lectures conducted by foreign scientists. Those interactions made me more self-confident. I was excited to see how an astrophysicist  works,” she said.

Mary intends to apply to three prestigious U.S. universities (Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California Institute of Technology) to further continue her studies. “I know it is going to be difficult, but I do my best to fulfill my goals. The exams are scheduled from October,” she said.

Mary added that she will continue to come up with initiatives related to Armenia, claiming that the country’s education system needs to undergo certain modifications to motivate Armenian schoolchildren to love science.