When Mary Baghdasaryan from Alaverdi first arrived at the COAF SMART Center in Lori, she was amazed by the size of the hub— her music school’s stage was the only thing that compared to the scale of its amphitheater.
“I liked the environment and the people so much that after the first introductory session, I told my mom, ‘I’m definitely going to keep coming here,’” Mary recalls enthusiastically. For her, every program along the SMART path has been a unique springboard for diving deeper into those specific fields.
After the vocal program, she decided to take private singing lessons. Mechanics was followed by her school’s “Armat” engineering club. Inspired by musical instruments, she began learning to play not only the violin and piano but also took on the guitar, electric guitar, and percussion instruments.
SMART + dance + theater studio + vocal + violin + piano + “Armat” engineering club + TUMO = future cardiac surgeon who dreams of being a stage star and a sea captain, of course.
Mary’s top three reasons for attending SMART? new friends, gaining knowledge, and developing soft skills.
Mary preparing for her first recording session with great excitement alongside her group.
The painting program helped her realize that everyone can draw or knows how to draw, they may just not know it yet.
For Mary, each program at the SMART Center in Lori provides an opportunity for self-expression and discovering new skills.
Her 9 years of dance classes did not go unnoticed during SMART’s yoga classes.
And when she’s in the mood and weather is just right, one of Alaverdi’s elevated backyard’s turns into a real open-air stage.
Her knowledge about beekeeping will surely come in handy when she joins the Agrotechnology program next at SMART.
