YSU STEM High School achieves success at olympiads through motivation and systematic work

The school's participation and performance indicators in both republican and international olympiads, as well as their comparison with previous years, demonstrate steady development and consistent improvement in outcomes.

According to the Director of the YSU STEM High School, Aram Khachatryan, the growth in achievements is driven both by student motivation and by the school's systematic work: "In our first year of participation, we had only two medalists. Today, we already have several winners and prize recipients across different subjects at the republican stage. Year by year, students' self-confidence grows, and thanks to consistent work in olympiad training groups, success is clearly evident. This year's results once again prove that the targeted work carried out at the school yields tangible outcomes."

In the current academic year, 10th-grade student Tsovinar Movsisyan received a first-degree prize in the republican stage of the Armenian Language Olympiad. 11th-grade student Arman Avetisyan became a third-degree prize winner in the republican stage in two subjects—Armenian Language and Armenian History—while 12th-grade students Mariam Galstyan and Narek Avetisyan achieved awards in the Biology Olympiad.

Another notable achievement is that three students from the YSU STEM High School have been selected to participate in the Sochi International Open Olympiad. It is particularly noteworthy that half of the six participants from schools across Armenia represent STEM High School.

According to the director, this result reflects both individual student effort and the effectiveness of the school's olympiad training groups: "This is the result of both student motivation and the work of our olympiad training groups. Without these two components, such achievements would be impossible. Students naturally play the primary role, but their success is also grounded in the educational environment created at the school." 

The school offers various extracurricular groups—educational, sports, and cultural—which allow students to deepen their knowledge and develop analytical thinking. In olympiad training groups, students learn alternative approaches to problem-solving that differ significantly from the general curriculum and foster competitive thinking.

It is also noteworthy that Arman Avetisyan, who studies in the science and mathematics stream, has achieved success in humanities subjects as well. According to the director, this reflects the school's high-level instruction across all subjects.

Preparations are already underway for participation in the next stages of the International Biology Olympiad. Last year, STEM High School students won four medals in this field, and expectations for this year are equally high.

"When you understand your goal, overcoming challenges becomes easier."

First-degree prize winner in Armenian Language, Tsovinar Movsisyan, notes that her previous unsuccessful attempt became a key driving force for her progress:

"In 9th grade, I also participated in the olympiad, but I missed advancement to the next stage by one point. After that experience, my primary goal became not only to reach the next stages but also to win a prize at the republican level. When you understand why you are working, the path becomes clearer," she said.

She also emphasized the importance of olympiad training groups not only for deepening knowledge but also for shaping ways of thinking. According to her, students do not simply study the subject but learn to think in an olympiad-oriented way, which significantly influenced her results.

Biology Olympiad prize winner Mariam Galstyan stated that her participation over the past three years gradually developed from an initially unfocused experience into a serious commitment: "At first, I participated without clear goals, but after becoming involved in dynamic Olympiad activities, I began to take it more seriously. That was when I understood the real significance of olympiads and started working more consistently." 

Narek Avetisyan, a prize winner in the same subject, noted that his interest in the subject was formed during his studies at STEM High School: "Before coming to STEM High School, I was not particularly interested in biology. However, here, with the support of Olympiad training groups and teachers, I began to deepen my knowledge. I can say that my interest was formed from scratch, and that had a major impact on my results."

Arman Avetisyan, prize winner in Armenian Language and Armenian History, emphasized the role of discussions in Olympiad groups: "In the Armenian History Olympiad training group, we constantly held discussions, and the knowledge gained during them greatly helped during the Olympiad. In Armenian Language, although I do not attend a specific group, I received significant support through discussions with my teacher during lessons."

According to the students, the main difficulty was not the complexity of the tests but the competitive pressure, which is natural at such high-stakes stages.