Like many high school seniors this fall, Isabella Setian is caught in the pleasant dilemma of having to weigh options for what to pursue after graduation. Should she focus on growing her photography business? Spend more time volunteering? Or narrow down her choices for college?
Though certainly committed to helping Isabella find her way forward, Isabella's mom Mariam is also taking this moment to reflect on her tentative decision to pursue homeschooling 12 years ago. In retrospect, it’s hard for Mariam to grasp just how successfully homeschooling has allowed her and her husband, Haro, to convey to their three children the things they hold most dear—faith, heritage, and homeland.
This generational transference has handed down much more than rote knowledge. By modeling lessons through their own efforts and attitudes, Mariam and Haro have inspired their children to view life as a repository of beauty and grace—despite their family’s legacy as survivors of one of history’s darkest eras.
In remembrance
Mariam and Haro are of Armenian descent. Their direct forebears somehow escaped the genocide that claimed the lives of a million or more Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
That knowledge has always weighed heavily on Mariam.
“It’s a complete miracle that I’m even alive,” she noted. Because of this, she added, “I always felt like I had a calling.”
As a young, single woman in Vancouver, Canada, Mariam started performing and recording Armenian folk music. Haro, a young, single man in South Carolina, purchased her albums online. She wrote him thank-you notes, which led to a relationship. They fell in love, married, and set up a joint household in the American Southeast.
When Isabella, their oldest, turned school age, Mariam faced a quandary. As a former teacher, she valued traditional schooling. But she also didn’t want to hand over her daughter for someone else to educate.
“I told my husband I could not imagine my daughter learning how to read without me being there,” Mariam recalled. “I wanted to be the one to see that lightbulb go on.”
She and her husband agreed to try homeschooling for a year. Then, Mariam discovered how much joy she experienced not just in teaching her children but in doing things together.
“I saw how much I was bonding with my kids at a different level,” she said. “There were some very beautiful moments. I taught them that everything we do is learning, whether it’s going to the store, ballet, or doing math. Learning never stops.”
Return to the homeland
Mariam and Haro experienced one of those collective epiphanies when they took their entire family on an especially meaningful trip in 2019 to visit the Republic of Armenia. Isabella, 12 at the time, found herself fascinated by the ancient culture and architecture. She took hundreds of photos on an old cellphone and realized she loved this particular method of making beautiful images.
As a teen she continued studying photography by watching tutorial videos, browsing the portfolios of professionals, and interviewing anyone who was willing to offer advice.
In 2022 she bought a digital single-lens reflex camera to produce higher quality images.
Isabella Setian with her camera. Photo courtesy of the family.
“I was just playing around,” she recalled.
She asked her sister to pose for her and took lots of nature photos. After awhile, said Isabella, it occurred to her that “this could be a career.”
With the goal of building a business, Isabella started offering her photographic services for free. In 2024 she launched a website to promote her skills, and early this year did portraits for several high school seniors.
She landed a paying job this spring, doing a photo shoot of five teens who wanted mementos of their friendship in high school. Since then, she has worked as the photographer for one wedding and is scheduled to shoot another this month.
A love for people
Isabella and her siblings have also found time to give back to the community. Among their most rewarding volunteer work has been helping at an inner-city preschool. Their church launched the project during the COVID-19 pandemic to help families whose parents’ work situation would not allow them to stay home with their kids.
Haro’s business helped sponsor the preschool. Since 2022, Isabella has regularly volunteered there, taking photos, cleaning, and reading to students.
With graduation approaching, Isabella is still sorting out her post-high school options. If she goes straight into college she is considering studying business or communications.
Isabella is also thinking about taking a gap year to pursue hands-on opportunities. Her interaction with a number of professional photographers inspired her to consider an apprenticeship. She’s also pondering short-term overseas missions work.
The teen said she’s confident she can make the most of whatever she decides to do thanks to her homeschooling experience.
“Homeschooling gives you so much more time to research, learn, and try new things,” Isabella said. This gift of self-exploration allowed her to discover what she values most.
“I always have loved art and creating beauty,” Isabella noted. “And I love people.”
These loves inspire her to find meaning in her work—whatever that turns out to be.