FROM RUSSIAN TO LAUREL HIGHLANDS, WITH LOVE
by Les Harvath

Tribune-Review (Greensburg, PA)
March 15, 2009 Sunday

When exchange student Natasha Mkhitaryan returns to her home in Russia
in May, she promises to tell her friends about everything she liked
during her yearlong stay at Laurel Highlands High School.

That list includes her host family, playing on the girls’ soccer and
basketball teams, hanging out with her new friends, going to the movies
and bowling, she said. And, of course, the total Mustangs’ environment.

"I like everything that I’ve found in the United States and at
Laurel Highlands," Mkhitaryan said in fluent and precise English,
spiced with her native accent. "Everything is so different to what I
am used to in Russia. I may never have this opportunity again. This
is a different lifestyle and my stay has given me the chance to be
living independent of my family. It has been good to experience high
school in the U.S. and have a chance to see things with my own eyes."

But she also will tell her friends about the one facet she hasn’t
liked about her stay.

"I’ve gained about 15 pounds already," she said, laughing. "I like
everything about the U.S. — school, soccer, basketball — except I’ve
gained 15 pounds and I don’t like that. All exchange students gain
weight when they are here in the U.S. because all the food is so good."

To celebrate International Family Week, she made
a vanilla-and-strawberry Armenian cake, which she described as
"delicious and a family favorite back home in Armenia."

Even though her home is in Russia, Mkhitaryan was born in Armenia.

Armenian is one of the six languages she speaks, including Russian,
English, Spanish and Kalmyk, the native tongue of her adopted Russian
region.

"I speak Armenian at home," she said. "My father wants us to speak
it at home so we don’t forget it."

In Russia, Mkhitaryan attended the top-rated school in her
republic. After their seventh-grade year, students must pass an
entrance exam to gain admission to the school, which focuses on
mathematics, history and law, biology and chemistry, and literature,
Russian and English classes. After spending two years studying
history and law, her career ambitions turned to becoming a lawyer,
and she would like to return to the United States to practice law.

Laurel Highlands’ girls soccer coach, Al Dubois, met Mkhitaryan at the
beginning of the season last fall and was impressed with her "great
attitude and hard work." "She worked very hard with the team and all
the girls loved her. She is one of the sweetest kids I’ve ever met."

Mkhitaryan’s soccer experience in Russia was recreational and not
affiliated with her high school. She played on the junior varsity
team this year.

"Her skills developed as the season went on," Dubois said, "and she
became an excellent defender. I’m impressed with her attitude about
everything. She is dedicated and I am proud of how our girls took to
her and made her feel at home."

LH girls basketball coach Mark John echoed Dubois’ sentiments.

"Natasha’s personality made it easy for our other players to become
friends with her. She didn’t come here with extensive basketball
experience and her playing time was limited to the junior varsity,
but she was happy to be a part of the team. She never missed practice
and always worked hard. She is a determined and enthusiastic young
girl. Even though she didn’t play, she was upbeat the entire season."

Originally scheduled to remain in the States until June, transportation
logistics, she explained, will instead see her return to Russia near
the end of May.

With her host family, Mkhitaryan has visited Williamsburg, Va., and
in March will be traveling to Washington again with her host family.