Parsamyan: At my old school, I was a Model United Nations panelist. We held a wide variety of discussions and debates focusing on political and other global issues and how they affect nations. I’ve been a participant of various conferences around the world. An example of a conference that I planned was a social justice conference in the UK.
I also organised a leadership camp in Armenia, and we participated in interesting projects to develop Armenian children’s English skills because those children do not always get an opportunity to learn English. We tried to encourage the children to speak English through games and other fun activities.
I love computer programming and I have produced web designs on different websites. I had my own online radio station in Armenia with about 4,000 listeners, and my Facebook page had 30,000 likes. Through the radio station, we organized interesting activities with clues placed around the city. Then, people in my own radio station had to go to find them. It was a really cool thing, and I enjoyed it.
Stentor: What are some accomplishments that you are proud of?
Parsamyan: I am so proud of graduating from United World Colleges’ (UWC) Atlantic College, getting a full scholarship and…being part of the UWC movement. I also presented a speech in The House of the Lords Parliament about my UWC high school in the UK. I was an operator of a UWC alumni fund for the UWC Atlantic College, which raised more than £15,000 in five days. I really felt like I gave back for the scholarship they awarded me initially when I joined the college.
Stentor: Can you tell me a fun fact about yourself?
Parsamyan: I spent my 17th birthday at the airport in Rome, Italy. I was in Rome for a week, participating in the Rome Model United Nations 2015 Conference. My flight back to the UK was on the day of my birthday, and because I could not get convenient transportation, I had to go to the airport 12 hours before my flight. Therefore, I had to stay in the airport for half of the day, celebrating my birthday all alone.
Stentor: What do you love the most about Lake Forest College?
Parsamyan: l really love the people here. They are so friendly, and they are always smiling. I’m not surprised that we are the 17th happiest school in the Princeton Review ranking. I love the community and the staff members.
We also have so many opportunities that we can access through the Center for Chicago Programs. The other thing is that there are so many offices—such as the Career Advancement Center, Quantitative Resource Center, and the Writing Center—that are readily available to assist us with anything that we might need. I also love the location of the school—it’s close to Lake Michigan and the city. It just seems like a very cool environment.
