Quick Talks #2: Interview with Maria Guiracossian

Meet Maria Guiracossian, our new Writing Consultant at the Math & Writing Center! 

Maria is a senior student majoring in English & Communications. She speaks three languages and plays the violin. Never once did Maria wear a winter coat until she was twelve years old, and she had never seen snow before moving to Armenia. If we were to choose three words to describe Maria, we would say that she is caring, kind, and resilient. 

In this interview, you will get to know our Wonderful Consultant, learn why she decided to become a Writing Consultant, and discover her thoughts about writing.

– Hi Maria! Could you please tell me a little bit about yourself so that our readers get to know you better?

– I was born in Aleppo, Syria, and I grew up in the United Arab Emirates. I really like reading English literature and when I was looking into universities in Armenia, I learned that AUA had a nice department of English, so I thought that it would be a good fit for me. That’s why I decided to move to my homeland in 2018 and attend this university. I speak three languages: Armenian (Western and Eastern), English, and Arabic. 

In my spare time, I like to read books and play the violin. Also, I am an outgoing person and I love going out and having fun with my friends. 

– What kind of literature are you fond of?

– Short stories fascinate me a lot. l like novels and poems, too, but short stories top my list of favourites. 

– What were your biggest challenges when you moved to Armenia?

– The biggest shock was the culture; it took me some time to get used to the fact that everything was different. The language was also a bit of a challenge at first. Dubai was a multicultural place, and I had friends from various backgrounds there, but being in an environment which was not multicultural, was something I had to get used to. I think anyone who moves to a new place will face challenges, but when time passes, you get used to it slowly. Also the weather; in Dubai, the weather is quite warm, and we don’t have snow at all, and when I came to Armenia I saw the snow for the first time!

– Did you travel around Armenia? Did you go sightseeing? 

– When I came to attend AUA, it wasn’t my first time in Armenia. I came when I was quite young and then I returned in 2016. I went to a camp in Dilijan and stayed there. I love the environment outside of Yerevan; it’s not too industrialized. I like nature. I would love to visit the Tatev Monastery again, the view from there was spectaculous.  

However, now I go back to Dubai during summers, so unfortunately I don’t have time to go outside of Yerevan.

– What is the most memorable journey you have ever had?

– I had a chance to go to Germany when I was twelve. We went there to perform on the stage. We were all classmates and we were all musicians, and it was great being with these talented people. I really loved the place, too; it seemed to me that the buildings had come out of a book. Oh, and it was so cold there! I wore my coat for the first time in my life! 

– Are there any book characters you would like to talk to or make friends with?

– I would like to go and talk to the protagonist of “The Yellow Wallpaper” (it’s a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman). Because of her pregnancy, she was in a depressing state — in physical and mental pain. She was having nightmares and wanted to go into the wallpaper. I would love to be in her environment, live in that house, to see everything with her own eyes, and understand what was wrong. I would also talk to her husband and explain to him that his wife wasn’t feeling good, and maybe I would be able to help her. 

I actually love the gloomy moods that authors create. If you want to grab the reader’s attention that’s for me a good way to go about it. 

– Do you consider yourself a good writer?

– Honestly, I don’t think there is anything like a good writer. The more you write, the better you get at it. But there is a thing. Whatever you create, you should be proud of your work and yourself. You should always encourage yourself and strive to become better (even if those are small changes). Even if you consider yourself to be a bad writer, you shouldn’t put yourself down and underestimate  yourself. You should start thinking positively! That’s what motivates us to write. 

– Do you write outside of the classroom? If you do, why do you write?

– I like to write during summers. I write small things like journaling about my personal life and experiences.

I write to get whatever is on my mind onto paper. I want to materialize it. Sometimes I strive to create a different world and I want to become a part of that world. Writing is also a way to distract myself, find a more peaceful environment, and have alone time for myself. 

– Why did you choose to become a Writing Consultant?

– I want to help others to improve their writing. I know it’s very challenging, because we are bombarded with so many assignments… Here is what I want to tell our students — there is a person who has gone through this and is willing to take your hand, walk you through it, help you be more comfortable in your writing, share her knowledge with you, and take the pressure off you. 

– What would you advise those who hate writing? 

– I have a few pieces of advice. You need to differentiate between being lazy and not liking writing. Those who have intrinsic motivation to write should simply fight the laziness. Those who are not lazy and simply lack the motivation, I would advise to write whatever comes to their mind. To write simple, everyday things. For example, a to-do list or a quick reflection on an experience. These little steps will help you come closer to writing and enjoy the writing process more. 

– Have you ever written something that you are proud of?

– Recently I wrote a photo essay. The first draft wasn’t that effective, but the second draft was quite powerful. The professor praised me. Before that, I wrote a research paper for my History class. I really liked the process. I enjoyed gathering information, learning through it, reading more, and then incorporating all of this information into my paper. Another interesting project I worked on was a paper for my Women and Gender class, where I examined how black women were hypersexualized in the media today. These experiences came as a proof that when you feel the emotional attachment to what you are writing and when you are interested in what you write about, it makes the writing process so much easier and enjoyable. If you choose something that you are not quite fond of, your motivation is lost, therefore, it’s very important to choose your topic wisely and think about your interests beforehand. 

– As we wrap up this interesting talk, do you have anything to tell the students who are coming to see you for the first time?

– Don’t be nervous. I’m your friend. Talk to me about the concerns you have so that I can help you better. I’m looking forward to meeting you and building relationships with you. I’m ready to listen to you, help you try new strategies for learning and writing. If you really want to improve your paper, you will surely be able to do that. 

Prepared by Anna Aghlamazyan, Coordinator of the Math &Writing Center

October 17, 2021

If you need help in writing, follow this link to book an appointment with Maria! She will help you to brainstorm for ideas, come up with an effective structure for your essays, revise for clarity, and, eventually, improve your writing skills.