Alumni Newsletter I Winter 2019

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER Winter 2019 | Issue 18

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER Featured photo: One Province. One Song.

Next Step Grant project

TABLE OF CONTENTS A NOTE FROM THE TEAM

Page 1

STAFF CORNER

Page 2

SPOTLIGHT ON ALUMS

Page 5

NEXT STEP ALUMNI GRANTS

Page 16

PATHWAY TO ARMENIA

Page 22

RECOGNITION AWARDS

Page 25

LOOK WHO'S BACK

Page 26

THERE'S POWER IN UNITY

Page 29

ARE YOU IN THE LOOP?

Page 32

www.birthrightarmenia.org l www.armenianvolunteer.org

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER Featured photo: Gyumri's new office

A NOTE FROM THE ALUMNI TEAM To our Dearest Alums, First off, we would like to begin by thanking you for your continued partnership with Birthright Armenia and AVC. With an Alumni community of 2300, spread over 60 countries, our network is stronger than ever. Your success stories, achievements, and all that you do is what we are here to support.

As the year winds down and we head into the Holiday season, we would like to share with your biggest collective achievements for the year, and the exciting changes coming up in 2020.

There is power in numbers: 153 Alums joined our community in 2019.

There are now 1898 Alums across 50 different countries.

As always, we would love to learn more about any exciting news you might have; an adventure you’ve had, updates regarding school or work, and of course if you have plans to visit us in Armenia.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Yours truly,

Patil Toutounjian Alumni Program Coordinator patil@birthrightarmenia.am

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STAFF CORNER

Patil Toutounjian has joined our team as our Alumni Program Coordinator.

Patil arrived in Armenia late 2018 as a Birthright Armenia participant, and decided to make Armenia her home.

She studied Business Marketing in Toronto, Canada, and worked in the industry of commercial real estate marketing for 5 years.

Patil's main focus will be to work with all of you on Alumni related projects, from Next Step Alumni Grants, Pathway to Armenia, Recognition Awards, Ambassador Program, and many more.

Now that you’ve learned a bit about Patil, she’s eager to learn more about all of you. Please use patil@birthrightarmenia.am to connect with her.

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Alumni Newsletter | Fall/Winter 2019

We’re happy to announce the addition of Noor Varjabedian to our Birthright Armenia team as the Marketing and Social Media Coordinator.

Noor completed her BS degree from the University of Mary Washington in Marketing and Sports Management.

Upon graduation, she volunteered in both Gyumri and Yerevan programs, completing eight months as a BR volunteer. "I enjoyed staying with a host family and gaining life-long relationships with locals I now call family." Not only is she excited to call Yerevan home, but also continue her journey with Birthright Armenia.

Reach out to Noor at noor@birthrightarmenia.am.

STAFF CORNER

Astghik Markosyan has become a part of the Birthright Armenia family as the Alumni Program Assistant. It has been two months since she has arrived in Yerevan to complete Master’s degree in Human Resource Management.

Prior to that she has completed a Bachelor’s in English language and literature in Vanadzor, spending one semester as an exchange student at University of Porto.

Astghik’s responsibility is working with the team in all alumni related projects, including Next Step Alumni Grants, Pathway to Armenia, Recognition Awards, Ambassador program, and many more.

She is excited to support you with any questions you might have, so do not hesitate to contact her at astghik@birthrightarmenia.am.

Lilit Hovhannisyan is our new Jobsite Placement and Special Programs Coordinator.

She did her BA at the American University of Armenia (AUA) in English & Communications. She participated in several international youth programs and is very much into intercultural environments.

Interning with US Embassy, American Corners for several years Lilit started her career at AUA working with international students and is now continuing her journey with us now helping volunteers find the jobsite they are most interested in.

Here is her e-mail: lilit@birthrightarmenia.am Meet her, talk to her as she really wants to get to know all of you.

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STAFF CORNER

We’re happy to announce that Anahit Sargsyan has joined the AVC team as AVC Program Coordinator. Anahit has 6 years’ experience working in academia and youth centers and values the importance of both formal and non-formal education. She sees volunteering at the interface between formal and non-formal education and the experience at AVC is a great opportunity for her to deepen her knowledge in the sphere.Anahit holds a Master’s Diploma in Linguistics and Information Technologies from Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Brusov.

Drop by to say hi to Anahit. You may contact with her at anahit@avc.am.

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Alumni Newsletter | Fall/Winter 2019

Join us in welcoming Mane Babajanyan as the new AVC Program Assistant.

Mane has 3 years’ experience as a volunteer in local and international projects. For her volunteering is not only a chance of non-formal education, but it is also a way to expand horizons and gain a new outlook on life. In this sense, AVC is an open gate to explore a new culture and become a part of a big Armenian family.Mane holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and International Affairs from the American University of Armenia.

Reach out to Mane at mane@avc.am.

Anoush Baghdassarian, 2018 Our Alum Anoush Baghdassarian (2018) Co-founded the project Rerooted digital archive, where many of our volunteers had the opportunity to intern this year. The Rerooted Archive preserves personal, on-the-ground perspectives about SyrianArmenian history from its roots of survival, to its vibrancy in Syria, to the precipice of dispersion. By saving these stories of the past, they aim to secure their place in future histories and have a positive impact on the present, through advocating for the community’s needs in Syria, Armenia, and beyond.

Anoush has interned at various human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch, La Fundación Luisa Hairabedian, and the Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights. Most recently, she was as an intern at the Ombudsman Human Rights Defender’s Office in Yerevan, Armenia. In addition to these experiences, Anoush is a published author of a historical fiction play about the Armenian Genocide entitled FOUND which has been presented at book events around the world and produced for stage productions in New York and California. She has also written a play in Spanish about Argentina's last military dictatorship, and is in the beginning stages of writing a play about the experience of Syrian-Armenians as her Action Project for the Humanity in Action fellowship based on the testimonies collected in this archive. Anoush strongly believes in the power of storytelling and preserving history, thus co-creating Rerooted has been one of the most meaningful experiences she has had. With the goal of working on international cases of genocide, forced migration, and crimes against humanity, Anoush continues her education at Harvard Law School to study international human rights law and transitional justice.

Anoush recently went on the EVN Report podcast to further speak about the project.

Check it out here.

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Alumni Newsletter | Fall/Winter 2019

Arevik Vardanyan, 2018 Arevik Vardanyan, 2018

Meet Female Role Model of the Year, Arevik Vardanyan. Our alum from Toronto, Canada, who joined Birthright Armenia in October 2018. Arevik’s long term vision is to create a functioning organization that enables foreign investment for small and rural business through branding.

Finishing her volunteer service in mid-February, 2019, Arevik joined the Lemonade Fashion team where the mission is to make luxury, custom-made fashion accessible to the modern-day, fashion-forward individual on the move. After registering the business in Armenia as an official LLC, she launched the Winter collection, with 6 designers, along with helping re-brand the company and website. In June, she worked with 12 designers to launch the summer collection, and on boarded the first Armenian designer.

This summer, Lemonade Fashion won the Digital Technology award for the Big Idea Challenge hosted by the British Council, and participated in the Sevan Start Up Summit, where they won in the Fintech category. Lemonade Fashion is currently part of Silicon Valley Start up Program in San Francisco, and recently had the opportunity to meet up with Alexis Ohanian, Co-Founder of Reddit, at the Female entrepreneurs dinner organized by HIVE Ventures. Adding even further to the list of achievements, Lemonade Fashion won the "Eurasia Startup Awards" National category for "The Best e-Commerce Start Up" and "Female Role Model of the Year"- Arevik Vardanyan, as Director of Lemonade Fashion.

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Alumni Newsletter | Fall/Winter 2019

Karine Sophie Eurdekian, 2018

Karine Sophie Eurdekian (2018) founded the project Kooyrigs. Kooyrigs is dedicated to providing resources to Armenian women by promoting educational initiatives and funding community projects. Its digital safe spaces hope to spark conversation on topics that impact Armenian women both in the motherland and diaspora. By elevating diverse Armenian voices through digital media, hosting community events, and launching innovative projects- they aim to be a catalyst for the women’s rights movement in Armenia and around the globe.

One of the latest initiatives was in collaboration with "Nor Luyce" Mentoring Center for Youth in Gyumri, by organizing an art therapy workshop. Some of the activities included how to channel feelings into art and utilize creativity for expression and emotional relief.

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Alumni Newsletter | Fall/Winter 2019

Maxence Rogard, 2018

Street Art in Yerevan The best way to know a city is to get lost in it. I like to walk in town – sometimes going somewhere, often going nowhere. Yerevan is an ideal playground for urban explorers.

The Armenian capital is expansive. The downtown area contains numerous corridors in which it is easy to get lost.I remember my first minutes in Yerevan. The taxi with the cracked windshield took me to a deserted city, ghostly. Soviet buildings and broken sidewalks carve the urban landscape. A bit underwhelmed by this first impression, I encouraged myself to apply one of the many principles that my father taught me – “do not judge too quickly”.

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Alumni Newsletter | Fall/Winter 2019

Time passes and I learn to discover this city and this life which reveals itself to those who want it. One of the main aspects of this city that I love are the numerous works of street art that adorn its walls.Before leaving for Armenia, I had heard of the many social changes brought about by the 2018 revolution. On the ground, I quickly realized that the recent revolution was not limited to simple regime change, but more fundamentally to a change in the state of mind of the Armenian population – a kind of reconciliation between the promising youth population and a brighter future.

The abundance of street art in Yerevan must be thought of as linked to the societal changes that have taken place over the past two years. It is possible to see the development of this artistic form as the reappropriation of public space by citizens.

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Alumni Newsletter | Fall/Winter 2019

The recent revolution in Armenia was a popular and pacifist revolution aimed at ending the preexisting oligarchy, though it is still too soon to determine the success of the revolution. On the other hand, it is clear that Armenians have reclaimed their country in a serene, almost natural way. The walls of Soviet buildings have been turned into a platform for the protest movement.The street art movement is becoming more robust and is structured around many events and festivals throughout the year. For example, the Urvakan festival in early May gives visibility to many alternative scene artists. The concept of this festival is the rehabilitation of abandoned sites by international artists.

This type of event allows street art to break free from its substantive illegality and gives it the opportunity to acquire a certain legitimacy in the face of so-called “traditional� forms of artistic expression.

For more than 6 months, I lived north of the city center near an emblematic neighborhood of Yerevan: Kond. The Kond neighborhood is one of the oldest districts of Yerevan, located on a hill outside of the immediate city centre (known as Kentron). The district is marked by the chaotic nature of its architecture and is considered one of the symbols of the city. It is in this iconic neighborhood that the street artist @yerevantropics decided to found the Kond Gallery, a true “open-air gallery” for street artists of all varieties. This gallery offers an interesting perspective on free artistic expression and daily life in Yerevan. The area, which is not the most touristic part of the city, deserves to be discovered far from the large, clean walkways and cafes of the city center.

One individual is behind this initiative: Sereg Navasardyan, aka @yerevantropics. With his recognizable style and somewhat minimalist works, he has emerged as the street art leader of Yerevan. You can find his works scattered throughout the city. Sunday walks in the city center quickly turn into a treasure hunt in search of this artist’s latest work.

In short, it seems that Yerevan is undergoing a “coolification”. The underground culture is becoming stronger and more structured. Like Berlin in the 90s, Yerevan is attempting to become a stronghold for new art forms in a challenging geographic region. Here in the Caucasus, a silent war is being waged. A war that does not kill, but a significant war. This war is one fought by the city of Tbilisi – the Georgian capital – and Yerevan– the Armenian capital.

One of these two cities is becoming the reference city of underground culture in the Caucasus. Undoubtedly influenced by my Armenian experience, I would put my money on Yerevan, as being the more singular. Be that as it may, it is certain that Yerevan has a special atmosphere, an atmosphere that can not be told, but must be lived.

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Alumni Newsletter | Fall/Winter 2019

MEET ARTHUR AND HIS KIDO FRIENDS! Last November Arthur Gasparyan, 23, was in Gyumri volunteering at Sun Land child development center and Gyumri Technology Park. With a ticket in hand to return to Russia four months later, he really hadn’t given much thought to staying in Armenia for the longterm.

But his life took a turn three months into his stay when Arthur’s curiosity led him to check out Gyumri’s educational system to see if could contribute in some way. He’d participated in the creation of children's educational projects in Moscow and was now thinking perhaps his acquired skills and knowledge could be beneficial to put to use in Armenia.Upon his Gyumri arrival, Arthur began to teach children, mostly from socially vulnerable families, at a noncommercial educational center.

From day one he fell in love with the kids and every day set off to work invigorated. The center’s creators were young, enthusiastic Gyumri natives all very much vested in the future of their city and the younger generation.Arthur found out that the center was on the verge of closure and since all kindergartens in Gyumri were already filled, these children would otherwise be left without a pre-school education. So the decision was quickly made to breathe new life into the project to preserve it.

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The group found a new room in the Ani quarter of Gyumri, organized a successful crowdfunding campaign, and began construction of a new children's center called KIDO. In order to launch the project, the group was able to collect $4,000 in donations within 10 days, which covered the costs of repairing the space, recruiting new staff, and creating a training program.

The first group of 27 children started their program on August 1st and five new jobs were created in the making. The center is currently in pilot test mode, with children learning foreign languages, math, geography, logic, etiquette and more. Arthur and the group proudly state that they have “set an aggressive goal of recruiting 50 more children by October”.

Fundraising efforts for the purchase of new equipment and classroom furniture is ongoing. In addition to children's education, KIDO will launch teacher training courses, and offer a parent club for sharing experiences and spending quality time together.You can familiarize yourself with the KIDO project in more detail and provide financial support by visiting KIDO’s website. After the successful implementation of the KIDO Gyumri project, Arthur and his group plan to scale to other cities of Armenia including Vanadzor, Dilijan, Tsaghkadzor, Goris, and Stepanakert.

You can follow the progress of events via their Facebook or Instagram.

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PICSART AND OUR ALUMS

Meet PicsArt, an image editing, collage and drawing application and social network, empowering users to bring out their creativity. It’s a powerhouse with a team of 300+ talented individuals that is just as creative, playful and robust as the product it has designed. Some of our Birthrighters have the good fortune to be a part of the PicsArt team, headquartered in Yerevan, as volunteers. And it’s magic when the placement is a perfect match, resulting in an employment opportunity.

This is exactly the case for five of our alums who currently work for PicsArt full time.

Please meet them and enjoy their artistic renderings of themselves below!

Coming from a mathematics background, Tamara Maydali, 23, serves as PicArt’s Country Coordinator for Germany, where she was born and raised. When she took this marketing team position, the office environment was very important for her.

“Everyone supports you in your interests and talents here. People are appreciative of your work, it’s very motivating. I’m learning a lot daily while also realizing what I’m capable of. Plus it would have been so difficult for me to get a position like this back in Germany.

Working in Armenia shows me that anything is possible if you work hard for it”.

Carine Tomassian, 28, from the U.S., is a Project Manager on the PicsArt creative team. She admits, “There is no way this would be my reality if it wasn’t for my 2018 volunteer experience, which totally prepared me for what it’s like to live and work here. Having a sense of community and realizing that I had other people I could count on had a big impact on my decision to stay.”

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Of course living in Armenia for the longerterm comes with a multitude of challenges, and for our alums it ranges from differences in the pace of life, social constructs, social norms, and the environment. Tara Baghdassarian, 25, who volunteered in 2017, explains “it might sound cheesy to say this, but every day in Armenia is a new adventure. I really feel free here, adventurous and passionate about life”. She continues “That said, there’s this assumption that women are not as capable as men. I’ve realized I have a more strict approach to people because I want to be taken seriously.”

“PicsArt reaches all corners of the world with our app, so welcoming a Birthright Armenia participant is valuable, exciting, and rewarding for both us and for the participant,” explains Madlene Minassian, Head of Corporate Affairs. “They bring along their dedication and hard work, but also their knowledge of the markets they are coming from. We’ve gotten to know our diverse markets much better due to their brilliant insight. Our transparent and inclusive culture also contributes to their experience. I have been honored to see many Birthright Armenia participants find dear colleagues and many friends from the experience”.

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One such example is Catherine Khachvartanian, 25, a 2019 volunteer from San Paulo.

“She came to intern at PicsArt and began her career with us soon after as our Brazil Country Coordinator. She is now in charge of the millions of users we have in Brazil, and makes sure they have an amazing experience. She has also gained a big friendship and support circle in Armenia through our colleagues. We look forward to hosting many more Birthright Armenia interns!” concludes Minassian. When Catherine had first discovered PicsArt was Armenian, she never imaged it was so big. “It’s crazy to see how many people are behind one application. This one little button on your phone has 300+ people making sure you have a great experience.”

Ani Kemanian, 22 from Uruguay, a 2019 participant is now PicsArt’s Country Coordinator for Latin America. “The advice I would give to someone who is looking to move to Armenia is to come open minded. Of course it’s impossible to like every aspect of a new adventure, but I’ve learned that having no expectations is what makes you step outside of your comfort zone and grow.”

Are you looking for employment in Armenia, recommendation letter, or professional consultation? Contact your Alumni team at alumni@birthrightarmenia.am A l u m n i N e w s l e t t e r | F a l l / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9 15

ALEXANDER AZIZYAN, 2012 Updates on 2018 Next Step projects

Grigoryan Fencing School has come a long way since Alexander first saw the school in 2012, during his volunteer term. Through the efforts of Alexander Azizian and the director of the fencing school, Samvel Grigoryan, the school has blossomed into a prestigious and respectable fencing school. This successful school, was in a run down condition. The fencers had no morale, as the upcoming military service marks the end of their sports careers. They also had no means of continuing the sport after the age of 18, as international competition is just a fantasy. The school entered 3 different phases of transformation. The first two were new equipment and remodeling of the entire school, this was accomplished through the efforts of Alexander and the fencing director through other means of fundraising and grants. The final phase was sponsorship to international competition. Through the $5000 Next Step Alumni grant from Birthright Armenia, the final phase was accomplished. This transformed the school completely and changed everything inside and outside the school.

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JEREMY DALMAS, 2008 Updates on 2018 Next Step projects

The Next Step Alumni Grant to support EVN Report's podcast production was a great success. The organization was outfitted with a full podcasting studio and all the equipment to do recordings. Also a podcast producer was trained and hired to do the required editing of their podcast. The grant provided EVN Report with $5000 to help buy the equipment, pay the podcast new producer, and and for alum Jeremy Dalmas to travel from San Francisco to Yerevan to help setup the studio and to train production staff.

Check out these podcasts by EVN Report, featuring our very own Alums:

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ANAHID YAHJIAN, 2012 Updates on 2018 Next Step projects

Earlier this year, Birthright Armenia Next Step Alumni Fund granted Anahid $500 to purchase a book scanner and transport it to Armenia for the purpose of digitizing her grandfather’s literary archive at the Charents Museum of Literature and Arts and, in doing so, to train the staff there to use the technology to speed up their own internal digitization process.

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GABE ARMAS-CARDONA, 2012 Updates on 2018 Next Step projects

The project aim was for Gabriel to conduct research on international norms and best practices regarding domestic violence (DV) to bolster Women’s Support Center’s (WSC) work. WSC is a leading women’s rights NGO in Armenia but lacks the capacity of full-time employees specialized on international law and human rights, such as Gabriel. The report created by this project provided WSC with valuable information and arguments to improve the effectiveness of their advocacy. The international documents analyzed in the report allowed WSC to substantiate and support the position Armenia needs to adopt to effectively combat DV, which includes alternative methodologies towards DV. In particular, the document provided useful resources to help WSC articulate best practices for concepts that are new to Armenia, including psychological abuse, stalking and a victim-centered approach. Likewise, the document provides a fair balancing of the procedural rights of perpetrators with the right to life and health of victims. This helps WSC thread the needle between the two sets of rights and defuse the arguments of those against taking steps to combat DV. Another area that the document helped elaborate on was the recognition of children as active instead of passive victims to DV. Children, even when only witnessing DV, can be seriously impacted. The report provides on all of these points citation to international legal documents, transnational comparisons or to social science research. This research was included as part of a campaign to encourage the Ministry of Social Affairs to take the issue of DV more seriously and to reevaluate the insufficient protections that currently exist in Armenia. Similarly, the research was shared with other stakeholders at various round table discussions organized by Oxygen NGO and a conference organized by the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women and UNFPA, where members of government participated.

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ONE PROVINCE. ONE SONG. connecting through music

"One Province. One Song." a project led by Alin Demirjian, 2011, that aims to connect the world with Armenia and Artsakh through musica has completed its first phase which involves touring provinces in Armenia and Artsakh, while collaborating with local artists and bands to record a song.

The entire journey was documented, which brings the team to the second phase, editing the videos and creating a YouTube series that showcase to the world what Armenia and Artsakh have to offer, from both artistic cultural aspects.

To celebrate the completion of the first phase, and the upcoming premier of the first video, we united with all in-country alums to support Alin, and get a sneak peak of what's to come.

You can follow the project by visiting www.youtube.com/alinmusica. Â

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PRESERVING CULTURE AND HERITAGE: THE COLLECTION OF DISPLACED CROSS-STONES

On July 27th, we were honored to attend the opening of the Collection of Displaced Cross-stones project in Aghberk village. This project, This project, led by Raffi Kortoshian, (2006, Syria), was brought to life through the Next Step Alumni Grant. It aims to create cross-stone gardens in villages of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh, where there were attempts of destruction.

The community came together to celebrate this achievement, and discuss further opportunities to expand.

Raffi’s main inspiration for the project came from his passion for the Armenian heritage.

He is eager to continue his work and expand to more villages.

With the leadership and dedication of our Alums, we are proud to see initiatives that focus on the preservation of Armenian culture and heritage come to life.

After celebrating the opening of the garden, we visited lake Sevan for some fun in the sun.

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Featured photo: Alumni Reunion in Sevan

Featured photo: Alumni Reunion in Boston

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Alumni Newsletter | Fall 2019

Featured photo: Alumni Reunion in Paris ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

NEXT STEP ALUMNI GRANTS And Your 2019 Winners Are...

With a current BR and AVC alumni base of over 2,300, which continues to grow by 325 annually, investing in our participants’ next step is key. Over the years, we’ve funded 29 “Next Step” alumni grants. As we continued seeing more project implementation, new and creative collaborations amongst alums, and long-term impact projects we were very thrilled with the top notch proposals that we received in 2019. It was not an easy decision to choose the winning projects that will leave their mark on the community.

Orphans and Their Dogs Ardem Tutunjian (2018, Canada)

Ardem will be expanding the project Orphans and their Dogs, where purpose is to rescue street dogs and give them a home at an animal sanctuary. These dogs will then be taken to visit various orphanages in Armenia to work as therapy dogs with special needs children. With the $7,600 Next Step support, Ardem will be able to grow the project by 7 additional kennels to rescue and train more dogs.

KIDO Children's Center Artur Gasparyan (2018, Russia)

Arthur has been living in Armenia since the completion of his volunteering for over a year.

He founded KIDO Children Center in Gyumri, here the purpose is to give an opportunity to all children an opportunity to all children, regardless of life circumstances, to receive a quality education and to reveal their talents in an atmosphere of love and kindness.He was awarded a $7,200 grant to cover costs associated with building and furnishing the LEGO room, room village, the Big Nature Room, and the Boards room at KIDO Children Center to ensure the children are equipped with all that’s needed for the most impactful educational journey.

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NEXT STEP ALUMNI GRANTS And Your 2019 Winners Are...

Rock Climbing in Armenia Tadeh Karapetian (2017, Australia)

Tadeh Karapetian (2017, Australia) has been awarded $2,225 to produce a guidebook to rock climbing in Armenia.

The purpose of this guidebook is to encourage the rock climbing community globally to consider Armenia as an option for their next adventure, and stimulate tourism in rural areas in Armenia.

Guidebook to Inclusion Armineh Victoria Babikian (2017, USA)

Armineh is an occupational therapist. She has been granted $4,000 Next Step grant to work with her partner organization COAF, to print 500 copies of an Occupational Therapy Guidebook to include a few video demonstrations.

The Occupational Therapy Guidebook to Inclusion provides simple clear information about common diagnoses, exercises with diagrams to strengthen physical, cognitive, sensory processing, and behavioral skills, as well as practical classroom strategies. It aims to enhance participation in school, self-care, leisure activities, and community integration for the children of Armenia. All tools and activities described can be made with simple household items. The Guidebook will also include worksheets which can be photocopied and a resource library of Armenian disability services.

Do you have an exciting project idea? Apply here to the next round of Next Step alumni grants by the June 30, 2020, deadline. For more information, or if you have any questions, connect with the team at alumni@birthrightarmenia.am.

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PATHWAY TO ARMENIA

In the summer of 2017 with a close group of friends from Lebanon we decided to come and do our internships in Armenia and be a part of the Birthright Armenia program. And ever since that summer the idea of returning and settling in Armenia never left our minds. We would frequently talk about our awesome adventures at Birthright Armenia during our gatherings which would often leave us melancholic.

Hrag and I have been good friends since high school we've shared a lot of great memories, a lot of common interests, we even share our name. And now we are roommates in Armenia, how cool is that?

It was hard saying goodbye to family and friends leaving all our loved ones and coming to Armenia but as the saying goes "you got to do what you got to do". Thankfully our journey at Birthright Armenia did not end in 2017 as every alumni will tell you it never ends...

Hrag Karaminassian (2017, Lebanon) Hrag Arabaghian (2017, Lebanon)

Thanks to the Pathway Armenia program coming and settling here has never been easier. From housing to job interviews staff guided us on each step of the way. I'm so proud to be an alumni of this organization.

The Pathway to Armenia program was created in early 2013 specifically to support the growing number of Birthright Armenia alumni around the world interested in returning to Armenia for work purposes. Accepted applicants receive three months of subsidized housing at the Birthright House and technical assistance from staff members, in an effort to ease the financial and logistical burdens associated with job hunting in Armenia.

To date, 68 alums have passed through the Pathway to Armenia program, with the vast majority of them having successfully found employment in their desired field of interest.

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LOOK WHO'S BACK IN TOWN

Here’s the story of Sarah Stites, a 2018 Alum from Washington, DC, who returned to Gyumri to continue her fulfilling involvement in shaping the future of Gyumri.

“When I first learned about Birthright at an Armenian gathering in DC three years ago, I knew I would participate someday--at the "right" time in my life. As the months went on, I realized something: there is never a "right" time to pick up your life and move it across an ocean and continent. It's a choice, and it's something you have to want. This has been my story of life in Armenia. In May 2018, I left my job, family and friends, and came to Armenia for one year. My plan was to be in Gyumri for the summer and move to Yerevan in September. My local friends here always joke about what happened next. I fell in love--not with a person, but with a people and a place and a past and a purpose.

Gyumri struck me so intensely because I saw the difficulties of the people, felt their feeling of hopelessness, heard stories of the city's heyday prior to the Spitak Earthquake, and dreamed dreams of what Gyumri could become. I was deeply touched by the local friends in my life--my dear host mom Armine, my colleagues, and others I met around town.

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The most inspiring people I met had great hope for the future. And I caught that vision. And so, I kept pushing back my Yerevan move date until I finally decided I'd stay in Gyumri. A huge factor in this decision was my fulfilling work. First as a volunteer and now as an employee, I have had the opportunity to deeply invest in the Emili Aregak Center, which provides support and therapy for kids with disabilities and their families. In Gyumri, this population faces immense challenges, including higher rates of poverty, family breakup, stigma, isolation and mobility difficulties. From the start, I was given an active role in an assortment of projects. My background is in marketing and communications, and I had the opportunity to engage a whole range of skills, including writing, editing, graphic design, presentation design, marketing and fundraising. The most exciting project in which I participated was the September 2018 opening of Aregak Bakery & Cafe. As the first inclusive cafe in Gyumri, it proudly provides employment opportunities to young adults with disabilities and their moms. It has been amazing to watch these wonderful people thrive in their new positions and to see the wonderful way in which the bakery has been received by locals, tourists, media and our favorite visitor--President Armen Sarkissian!

When my volunteer experience was nearing its end, my boss approached me and asked how I'd feel about staying on as a full-time communications and fundraising specialist. Although I had to return to the United States for a conference and a wedding, I had already contemplated coming back to Armenia, wanting to learn much more about the language, culture and people and do what I could to continue investing in my Armenian community. So, in faith that I wouldn't change my mind, I left my winter clothes in Gyumri, returned to the United States for the summer and worked short-term for my old company (with the caveat that I was 90% sure I'd be returning to the Caucasus in the autumn). Many people tried to convince me to stay in DC. I wavered intensely. But I returned because I knew Armenia wasn't finished shaping me, and I wasn't completely satisfied. And, as I had already learned, there is never a good time to move your life. You just do it. Now back in Gyumri, I continue to be blown away by my compassionate colleagues, the positive changes I've witnessed in the city since I first came in 2018, and of course, my own development as a person. I'm so excited to increase awareness of the rights and skills of people with disabilities, to raise support for the amazing work my colleagues do daily and to become a more seasoned communications professional in a field that works not only my brain but my heart.”

- Sarah Stites

Alumni Newsletter | Fall/Winter 2019

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Alumni Newsletter | Fall 2019

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER 26 Featured photo: Sarah's Journey

THERE'S POWER IN UNITY

With our growing Alumni community around the globe, we are stronger together. No matter where you are, or what type of initiative you are working on, you have the community standing behind you for support.

Danielle Saroyan Ashbahian, 2014, was reunited by Birthright Alums in Washington D.C. in September, at the National Advocacy Conference, and was part of the Armenian Assembly of America team that helped with the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution in the US House of Representatives (H.Res.296).

Here's what Danielle had to say about the community coming together: "I just want to start off by saying how remarkable it was that the entire Armenian American community came together these past few weeks and really worked hard to contact their Representatives and urge them to vote yes for the Armenian Genocide resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.Res.296.

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I have been working at the Armenian Assembly of America for over four years. The Armenian Assembly of America has worked vigorously since the 1970s to combat the dangers of genocide denial and has advocated for reaffirmation of the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide. I am the Armenian Assembly's Communications Director, so I can see the thousands of Americans (both Armenians and non-Armenians) who used our action alerts to contact Congress, and I am sure that is not the complete list since we encouraged people to call their Representatives as well.

In September, the Armenian Assembly of America organized its 2019 National Advocacy Conference, which had participation from fellow Birthright Alumni as myself (I interned in 2014 at the United Nations Department of Public Information in Armenia).

During this conference, the Armenian Assembly organized 150+ meetings on Capitol Hill in the House and Senate, and Birthright Alumni were very active in these meetings and advocated for numerous issues, with the Armenian Genocide resolution on the forefront (either urging the Member to co-sponsor the Armenian Genocide resolution or thanking them for being a supporter).

In addition to myself, Armineh Ghazarian, Amasia Zargarian, and Tereza Sarkisyan were on the Hill that day meeting with various congressional offices. The previous day, we were also joined by Natalie Mardirossian, Aris Mardirossian, Armen Ghazarian during the National Advocacy Conference and Gala honoring Congresswoman Jackie Speier. And though he could not attend this year's Advocacy Conference since he was in Armenia, Paul Sookiasian, who is also the Armenian Assembly of America's State Chair for Pennsylvania, was very supportive and participated in April's meetings and Congressional Armenian Genocide Commemoration alongside Armineh Ghazarian and myself.

Thanks to all of these efforts, the Armenian Genocide resolution was adopted on October 29, 2019 by an overwhelming favorable bipartisan vote of 405 to 11 in the U.S. House of Representatives. And now, with this momentum, we are all working towards a vote in the Senate on S.Res.150. We already have over 1,000 emails sent to Senators through the Armenian Assembly's action alert!"

What an amazing opportunity for alums to come together, and make an everlasting impact.Want to catch up with your fellow alums by organizing a social or cultural event in your community, or take part in an existing event? Let's make it happen. Reach out to alumni@birthrightarmenia.am to collaborate and connect.

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ARE YOU IN THE LOOP?

We want to stay in-touch with you and be in the loop of your success stories, adventures, or upcoming projects you may have.

Check out the channels that are available in your regions, join to stay in the loop.

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AYOLINGO HAS NEW MODULES 31-40

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STAY CONNECTED

We want to hear from you!

Should you have any exciting news, updates, planned visits to Armenia, or anything else you would like to share, please email us at alumni@birthrightarmenia.am www.birthrightarmenia.org l www.armenianvolunteer.org