Gegham Harutyunyan

Degree program: BS in Data Science ‘24
Albert and Terry Bezjian Scholarship
Melanie Ookhtens Endowed Memorial Scholarship 

At the age of 15, Gegham Harutyunyan already knew that he wanted to study at AUA. His older sister was also an AUA student, but Gegham was also motivated and influenced by the founders of PicsArt, who are also AUA alumni. When the data science major just opened, Gegham decided to be one of the first students, but soon after, he had to complete his service in the army.

After his service in the military, he returned in 2020. “Studying offline was very difficult, especially after coming back from the army. But I overcame everything with the help of the AUA Community. I wouldn’t be able to talk so confidently without the support from the staff, faculty and the overall community, who continue helping me to this day,” he says.

Gegham currently works with the monitoring team at PicsArt. He believes that the knowledge he gained at AUA in the short period of time helped him tremendously in his current work. After taking an “Introduction to Business” course with Dr. Kouchakdjian, Gegham also showed interest in the opportunities provided by EPIC and in the ideas of a possible startup in the future.

After studying for Master’s in Europe or the United States, Gegham wants to use his skills to develop the field of data science in Armenia, saying, “I can’t imagine my life anywhere else but Armenia. Patriotism is a big part of my identity.”