Back to School: Research Presentations by High School Students

Back to School: Research Presentations by High School Students

On January 24, I got the chance to reconnect with the Mkhitar Sebastatsi Educational Complex and attend research presentations of high schoolers. Needless to say, it was very exciting to be back this time as a research specialist instead of a student. It was even more exciting to listen to such motivated students who had done a great amount of work on their projects.

The presenters were Arshil Khachatryan, who had researched the Bermuda Triangle, Sona Balayan with her work “Press Is the Mirror of the World: There are Different Mirrors,” and Elen Mkrtchyan, who had examined “How Art can Improve Mental Health.” Each work was a unique and interesting project with an engaging presentation. I was especially curious about Arshil’s presentation, as I always wanted to learn about the Bermuda triangle but never had the chance to do so. Of course, from a somewhat experienced researcher’s point of view, there were several flaws in the research reports and presentations. But in the spirit of fairness, it is important to note that the results were great for young people conducting research for the first time in their lives. Each of the students had put an immense amount of effort and time into their projects, which I highly value and appreciate.

Looking back, I would love to have had this opportunity as a high school student. Research skills are crucial in the modern world. And the sooner you acquire them, the more doors open for you. When listening to the presentations, I realized that if I were one of these students, there are some fundamental things that I would love someone to tell me before getting to research. After all, having a guide can help when learning something for the first time and can significantly accelerate the learning process.

This gave me the idea of collaborating with my favorite high school on such projects in the future. Through mentorship, I will help interested students with their future research projects and guide them throughout the whole process – from choosing a topic to presenting the final research report. I am excited to contribute to this amazing new project and help our aspiring researchers excel in the future projects they pursue.