Alumni Spotlight: Yelena Bagdasaryan '24

March 3, 2025

Meet Yelena Bagdasaryan '24

Lexington native Yelena Bagdasaryan '24 is currently studying Czech at Charles University in Prague as a Boren Scholar. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Boren Scholarship funds language and cultural immersion programs in regions critical to national security. As part of the award, she will complete a federal service requirement upon her return.

Yelena is also an international communications intern at Caritas Czech Republic. She previously received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Armenia but opted for the Boren Scholarship.

A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Louisville, Yelena earned a BA in public health and political science. She held leadership roles in several student organizations, attended West Point's Student Conference on U.S. Affairs and interned at Kentucky Youth Advocates.

She is a three-time Presidential Volunteer Service Award recipient and was recognized with the Jean and Eleanor O'Sullivan Award and the School of Public Health Dean's Award. This fall, she will begin an MSPH in health policy at Johns Hopkins University.

Describe your experience abroad.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to study abroad in the Czech Republic and immerse myself in the Czech language at one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious institutions. Living in Prague has allowed me to witness firsthand the rich history and resilience of this country, from being a key part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to reclaiming its independence and democracy in 1989. The Czech Republic is culturally rich as well and I have loved being able to attend the opera, visiting the castles and other historic towns, hiking in Moravia and Bohemia and more. Beyond academics, my time abroad has been a journey of self-discovery. I have learned how to navigate new environments independently and adapt to a whole new culture in the Czech Republic and when traveling to different countries in Europe. Additionally, Prague is a very international city and I have become friends with wonderful students and colleagues from so many different places that I met because I decided to move abroad.

What challenges did you face during this experience?

One of the biggest challenges was the initial language barrier. As a fluent Russian speaker, I expected some similarities since both Russian and Czech are Slavic languages. However, Czech has significant linguistic differences due to influences from German and Latin, which made mastering the grammar and vocabulary challenging at times. I had to get used to these differences, particularly in pronunciation and sentence structure. However, the Czech Studies Programme at Charles University and working at Caritas have been essential to my progress with reading, speaking, understanding and writing Czech. Additionally, living abroad also meant being far away from my support system. At the University of Louisville, I was so thankful to have a group of close friends at the McConnell Center and be an hour away from my family when I entered as a freshman. Meanwhile, in Prague, I had to really put myself out there to meet people by joining different clubs, expat meetups and events with students from other universities in Prague, which was difficult at times, but it ultimately strengthened my independence and I have met some amazing people!

How did this experience impact you and your career?

This experience has reinforced my passion for international relations and public health policy. Studying and working in a country with a unique healthcare and social welfare system has given me a broader perspective on how health policy can be revised to work efficiently especially under stress from displaced populations and war, which are all insights that I will carry with me into my graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University. Right now, the Czech Republic plays a crucial role in European security, particularly in response to Russia's aggression. As the country with the third-largest population of Ukrainian refugees, it has been at the forefront of humanitarian aid and policy development to support displaced populations. Additionally, the Czech Republic's strategic position within NATO and the European Union has made it an increasingly vital partner for the U.S. and its allies, including South Korea, which is one of the Czech Republic's most important trading and defense partners. From a linguistic perspective, learning Czech has also made it easier for me to understand/learn other closely related Slavic languages such as Polish and Slovak. Finally, my time abroad has helped me build connections in the NGO world and given me a deeper understanding of how international organizations operate, which is vital as I pursue a career in global health and international relations.

What should be known about the important work you did abroad?

Right now, I work as an international communications intern at Caritas Czech Republic in their Humanitarian Aid and Development department. Caritas Czech Republic is the oldest nonprofit organization working at the national level and the biggest non-state provider of social and health services in the Czech Republic. It is also the second-largest Czech organization in the field of humanitarian aid and development cooperation and has active offices in 7 countries around the world. My role focuses on writing articles and helping communicate the organization's work to a wider audience. Through this internship, I have learned how to effectively convey social issues such as refugee support, social inclusion and international development to people from all backgrounds.

While I wasn't directly involved in projects, I gained valuable insight into how Caritas carries out its work when supporting humanitarian efforts abroad in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Zambia, etc. Additionally, I have been able to volunteer at tabling events such as the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day on Nov. 17, which allowed me to learn more about Czech history and its commitment to human rights and democracy, reaffirming my passion for public service. And it helped me practice my Czech more since I was interacting with local families as we communicated our organization's mission to them!