Counting our Blessings at Nor Luyce Mentoring Center for Youth

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, this time of year tends to remind us of our many blessings, particularly the love that surrounds and fills us. Counting our blessings is truly an endless feat. On an impulse, a few that come to mind: access to clean water, education, the Internet, freshly brewed coffee in the morning…

Many of our blessings come so natural to us that we may forget to count them. Blessings such as the ability to persevere, the opportunity to share your perspective and influence a group, having courage…these blessings are a God-given part of the human experience. We are blessed with these gifts at birth. But as with any of our inherent traits, they must be drawn out of us and properly developed in order for us to impact our communities in positive ways. 

And what a blessing it is to be surrounded by role models who live by example and leaders who guide, challenge and encourage us so that we can rise to our potential. These role models establish the foundation of the life we build and the life we give. 

Nor Luyce Mentoring Center for Youth in Gyumri, Armenia aims to fulfill the mission of providing teenage girls from orphanages and low-income families the tools to improve their self-esteem and become self-sufficient and globally aware young women. Through one-on-one mentoring and group collaborations, Nor Luyce strives to develop these young girls so that they are made capable of reaching their desired personal and career goals. 

Nor Luyce is proud to announce that during this academic year, ten of our mentees entered vocational colleges. In addition, three mentees entered universities to pursue a degree, two out of three of them having received scholarships that will fund the entirety of their program. All the mentees highlight the impact that career planning meetings at Nor Luyce has had on their pursuit of higher education.

Our mentees say, “Thank you for inspiring this change in me.” Thank you to our supporters, our mentors and our dedicated leaders, from the bottom of our heart, for blessing us with the possibility to rise to our potential.  

We hope the blessings in your life stir you and fill you with endless joy this holiday season and throughout the coming year. 

Noushig Hovhannesian

Noushig Hovhannesian

Noushig Hovhannesian lives in Philadelphia, PA and is a Birthright Armenia alum, an ARS member and chair of the Advisory Board of Nor Luyce Mentoring Center for Youth in Gyumri, Armenia.

3 Comments

  1. Very touching article Noushig. God Bless You for your loving, caring spirit and may Nor Luyce continue to receive the love and support that it needs to help these young women.

  2. Thank you Noushig Jan for all your support, kindness and motivation. Each support, each motivation ensure we can meet our goals and fulfill the dreams of these girls. Thanks for being next to us!

  3. Such an important and noble cause, preparing and guiding our youth for the future. And it is showing results. The world needs more love; the world needs more mentors. Thank you for your heartfelt contributions to Nor Luyce and for sharing such a lovely story.

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