Yana entered Younited with a profound, personal connection to her Armenian heritage and her family’s roots in Nagorno-Karabakh. Living in Russia but identifying deeply with her homeland, she arrived on campus carrying the emotional weight of regional conflict. Her experience at Younited expanded her focus, helping her connect her personal history to broader international realities.

• Now and next steps: Yana is currently living in Vancouver, Canada, where she is studying Finance at the University of British Columbia (UBC) on a major international student scholarship.
• A broader perspective on conflict: At Younited, listening to the lived experiences of her Israeli and Palestinian peers was an eye-opening milestone for Yana. It made her realize that while it is easy to focus entirely on the pain and political issues of one’s own country, true growth comes from learning to listen to and support others who are living through their own complex realities.
• An immersive education: Yana sought out Younited because she wanted an international education that offered a human element beyond traditional history textbooks. Living with students from opposite sides of conflicts allowed her to study global politics as a lived, daily experience.
• Growing across new dimensions: Yana sums up her transformation by stating that because of Younited, she grew across entirely new personal dimensions, moving away from an isolated viewpoint to become a more internationally aware and deeply empathetic individual.