Senior Satenik Ayrapetyan has been named a Hamilton Scholar and now her life in college will be significantly easier because of it.
“I feel like I have a newfound community, like a second family,” Ayrapetyan said. “I feel really privileged to be part of the ‘Ham-Fam’ and being there has genuinely transformed my life.”
Ayrapetyan is the print editor-in-chief of The Pearl Post and was named a recipient of the Alexander Hamilton Scholarship (AHS) on April 17, a scholarship that prepares students for the college admissions process and provides a community of like-minded peers. This year, the AHS accepted only 22 scholars out of the 3,500 applicants.
She plans to utilize the benefits included in the scholarship, including a $500 grant at the beginning and end of her college journey and multiple counselors who help with college applications.
Having moved to the United States from Russia when she was only five years old, her family knew little about the college admissions process. So, the counselors have been greatly beneficial to her.
“I always know to reach out to our guidance counselors,” Ayrapetyan said. “I’ve used their aid to clarify questions like, ‘Should I include this on my application? Is this OK to say?’ and obviously, the grant itself will be really beneficial when I go to college.”
During the Seattle Leader Week, a fully-paid mandatory trip from July 10-14 and final process of becoming a Hamilton Scholar, Ayrapetyan was able to meet in-person with the “Ham-Fam” from around the country. It was a five-day intensive workshop that provided insightful information on how colleges weigh different factors of an applicant and directly helped her write her college application.
“Seattle Leader Week was the most fun week of my life,” Ayrapetyan said. “It’s a really exciting time to get to meet and bond with everyone, and it’s just a wonderful time.”
Now in her senior year, Ayrapetyan has already been accepted into not only the AHS but also the prestigious Warren Christopher Scholarship at the end of her sophomore year. She hopes to continue on to study history as an undergraduate with a focus on pre-law and become a successful lawyer.
“I’m looking forward to being an adult and being in college and being able to pursue something I’m really passionate about,” Ayrapetyan said.
