9 -Year-Old Diana Finds Her Team on the Pitch at SMART

Nine-year-old Diana Muradyan from the town of Tumanyan, Lori, was one of the lucky kids who didn't need to apply to attend the Youredjian COAF SMART Center—her ticket was already punched.

Between the ages of four and six, Diana attended COAF's Debed Child and Family Center. Upon graduating, she received a special "visa" that allows SMARTuks (children who complete the Child Development Corner program) to begin their SMART journey as soon as they turn eight.

"When I saw the big SMART building, the first thing I thought was that there would be lots of programs and games," Diana recalls. "I started with the Finance program, then completed the Musical Instruments and Football (Soccer) programs."

Diana Muradyan had never tried football before—but she decided not to back out and give it a try.

"I had never played football before. I tried it, and it worked out. Now I really enjoy the classes and love playing football with everyone," she says enthusiastically, adding that her favorite part is the ball-handling drills, which help her become faster and more agile.

Diana proudly shares that, she has let very few goals pass while playing as defense.

"At the end of each football session, we split into two teams and play a match. It's true that there aren't many girls, but I like it when we play on mixed teams," says Diana.

She adds that what she loves most about SMART is the variety of programs, the opportunity to make new friends, and the chance to learn and have fun together.

Diana is convinced that SMART programs help children like her either discover a future profession or develop skills in one they have already chosen.

"If you don't know what you want to become, you can try all the programs one by one and figure out which one you enjoy most and are best at," explains the nine-year-old SMART student, who is already eagerly awaiting the Drawing program.

Diana's biggest dream is to have a cat—and an endless supply of canvases and paint.

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