Building Peace and Preserving Identity: Margarita Simonyan’s Vision for Armenia

Margarita Simonyan is a first-year student at Stanford University, where she’s double majoring in International Relations and Public Policy with a focus on international security, peacebuilding, and human rights. Originally from Los Angeles, her commitment to the Armenian community runs just as deep as her academic ambitions.

Margarita’s connection to her roots began early—at just five years old, she performed traditional Armenian dance at the Hayastan Cultural Center. But her drive to make a tangible impact deepened following the Artsakh War. In response, she founded Armenian Youth Education Aid, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on improving education in Armenia’s border villages.

Through her nonprofit, Margarita has led a series of high-impact initiatives: rebuilding a school and creating an educational ce ...