Valera Notes

Freshman Yerevan

Far fewer applications are ruined by competition than by self-sabotage.

We got into Y Combinator! After dropping out and rejecting term sheets that worth up to $2M, it was the riskiest decision to go forth. Yet, we went all in. Thank you everyone who supported during the journey.

My full mini-lecture at Webster University.

New Al-Kwarizmis, Avicennas, and Beruniys incoming

One unexpected perk of attending my mini-lecture at Webster was getting to see my alien-looking childhood photo.

Team at Webster has opened the talk to everyone interested. 📅 Friday, October 16, 2026 (tomorrow) 🕑 2:00 PM 📍 Grand Hall, Webster University Tashkent https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfb7EKo575XmFR8KmXxOgHEd4-NIa2lGJE83up3grdp_91dCA/viewform

Above is a short summary of my proposed lecture topic that I sent to the organizers. Would you join a more abstract lecture like this? P.S. Not the best idea to commit to this in the middle of admissions season. But we be living for these things.

"The World Is Built on Stories. Most of Them Aren't True. Valera Arakelyan Yale-NUS Graduate in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Founder of Freshman Academy When we think of mythology, we imagine ancient Greece, Egypt, or India. Yet our world is built on myths: identity, money, progress, social mobility, and many more. In this lecture, Valera Arakelyan will explore how the most powerful stories are those we no longer recognize as such. Through the lens of social constructivism, we will first examine how power, ideology, and corporate interests shape our perception of reality. Then, we will ask whether we can ever see the world as it truly is. And, if so, how?"

I was invited to give a seminar at Webster University. I could have given another talk on admissions or "successful success". But, this time, I wanted to shake things up.

Great argument by Prof. Gio that "solving a problem is not necessarily the same as advancing science." Would advise watching everyone interested in AI's recent advances in mathematics. https://youtu.be/KqiDqJMxg6o?si=hQhm2qFzbXM7OaJ4

President John Sexton is one of the founding fathers of NYU Abu Dhabi and mastermind behind NYU’s global expansion. He kindly agreed to speak with Imkon Scholars students. So we decided to open the discussion to everyone interested.

NYU’s John Sexton on the Future of Global Education John Sexton, former President of New York University (NYU) and Dean of NYU Law School, will share his insights on the future of global education in an exclusive online discussion organized by the Imkon Scholars Program. During his 14-year presidency, Sexton oversaw the establishment of NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. He also led a historic fundraising campaign that raised more than $3 billion, advancing the university's global ambitions. Join us for conversation on globalization, liberal arts, and the future of higher education with one of the architects of modern global education.

Aura. Akram aka, Head of the Representative Office at Henley & Partners, gave a seminar on wealth management at Freshman.

Farewell, my home to friends and family I so do love where everything is familiar and known. Farewell, to green streets love so overbearing that warmth turns to suffocating heat Farewell, oh how indeed unfair it all feels to have pieces of your heart scattered around this earth Farewell, to dreams too big for this small island, tis a big world out there, my friends and it beckons me once more Fare thee well

End of 2025, beginning of 2026. Last months in Singapore. Somehow feels like years ago.

I will repeat it again. If you publish your paper in a predatory journal, it will hurt your university application.