California High School Calculus Teacher Believes in Yes, Armenian Women Can!
As a high school Calculus teacher, Vivian Moutafian is no stranger to finding solutions to complex problems. She recognizes the need to promote diversity and educational opportunities for women in the field of technology, which is why she was inspired to support AUA’s Yes, Armenian Women Can! campaign.
“The areas of Engineering and Computer Science have been the last bastions of male-dominated education and careers,” says Vivian. ”This campaign is helping to remedy that problem in Armenia and I believe that it may be the tipping point in helping Armenia achieve its goals. Women have much to offer in these fields. As a high school Calculus teacher, I notice that young men and young women sometimes approach problem-solving differently, each providing key insights that are needed to find the best solutions. As Armenia moves to become a world leader in technology development, software engineering, industrial computing, electronics and production of semiconductors, Armenian women will provide the necessary edge in solving the problems that are encountered.”
Like many Armenians, Vivian comes from a long line of strong individuals that value and understand the importance of education. “As an Armenian-American woman, I know that Armenian women have provided the foundation for Armenian values, particularly around education,” Vivian reflects. “My paternal grandmother was a Genocide survivor. At the age of sixteen, she was sent to the United States to marry my grandfather, a stranger who was eleven years her senior. Although she, herself, never had the opportunity to receive a formal education, it was she who taught my father the value of education. Over the protestations of my grandfather, it was she who encouraged him to go to college and to earn his degree in Engineering. For hundreds of years, Armenian women have understood the importance and value of education, but they were unable to access it for themselves or for their daughters. Finally, times are changing.”