(May 24, 2013) — The past four years at Clark have been both challenging and rewarding for Gregory Grigoryan. As a student growing up in a foreign, unfamiliar country, Grigoryan aspired to achieve greatness at his school, whether it be holding a teleconference with Sergei Khrushchev, or perfecting his English speaking abilities. “In the past four years my greatest gain was learning how to read, write and communicate in the English language,” Grigoryan said.

Having moved to America only about six years ago, Grigoryan felt proud that he was able to quickly adapt to the new environment and learn a new language. His dedication to the Geopolitics Club helped him grow intellectually and opened many doors for him. “Recently, I was accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School,” Grigoryan said. The Academy only accepts a handful of people, and out of 700,00 people in each district, only about two people are admitted. “Also, I will probably be the only Armenian-American there,” he said.

Grigoryan will spend many years away from home training at the Naval Academy, and will focus on primarily three areas of study: submarine officer, surface warfare officer, and Marine Corps infantry. “I will be at Newport for ten months, at Annapolis for four years, and perhaps for decades into the sea,” Grigoryan said. He said that he feels honored to have been accepted and hopes to be as successful in the Academy as he was at Clark.

Grigoryan feels he has made a difference at Clark and has learned to stand for what he believes in. “He is very kind-hearted,” said junior Edward Antonyan, who is currently president of Geopolitics Club. “He is dedicated and determined in everything he does.”

Grigoryan feels, however, that he could not have achieved so much without the help and guidance of many teachers. “I thank Mr. Stroup for being the number one supporter of Geopolitics Club and for bending backwards in helping me with the teleconferences,” he said. He also credits English teachers Maral Guarino and Mary Mardirosian, Chemistry teacher Loussik Kassakhian, and counselor Karine Turdjian with contributing to his successes and allowing him to move forward with his aspirations and dreams.

“The Naval Academy admissions board has decided that I am the right person to become an officer in the Navy or Marine Corps, and that amount of trust is only something that an immigrant can get only in the country of immigrants, the United States,” Grigoryan said.