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AYF Interns Set off on Their
Journey
Every year a group of young, talented individuals journey to
their homeland to learn more about their culture, history,
and identity. They have longed to make this trip to Armenia
their entire lives and, this year, five individuals will
fulfill this dream.
These youth looked toward the AYF Eastern Region Summer
Internship program to provide them with the opportunity to
volunteer in their homeland at a place of their interest, as
well as travel throughout the country—including a special,
prolonged trip to Artsakh (Karabagh). This program is truly
one of a kind and has been sending Armenian-American youth
to Armenia for over 16 years now.
Members of this summer’s internship have come from across
the nation. From Los Angeles to Rhode Island, the group is
truly diverse, yet united with one mission: to fulfill the
responsibility of every diasporan to return to their
homeland—Armenia.
This summer’s interns will be volunteering in various places
including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nork Marash
Medical Center, Counterpart Armenia, and many others. For
some, this will be their first trip to Armenia while others
have visited before. They see the trip as an opportunity to
learn more about themselves and give back to Armenia.
Shogher Baronian, one of this year’s interns, explains:
“This summer I would like to go for the AYF Internship. ...
My previous visits to Armenia consisted of performing,
camping, and family vacations, but this time I would like to
work and give something back.”
For others, like Simon Sarkisian, the internship will
provide them with their first experience in Armenia. “Being
part of the AYF Internship in Armenia will help me reach my
dream of helping others and hopefully one day helping my
fellow Armenians,” he says. Fellow 2008 intern Jocelyn
Bissonnette agrees and adds that “after deciding to visit
Armenia, the AYF internship was a natural choice. Both the
mission and strength of the program contributed to my
decision.”
In addition to volunteering during the day, the interns have
a busy schedule planned. “They will be meeting some of the
most highly respected individuals in Armenia,” says Garine
Palandjian, the coordinator for this summer’s program. “No
other program grants these once-in-a-life-time opportunities
to meet such people.” Palandjian has been working on the
program for over three months, contacting local officials,
organizing the interns, and planning outings. For the next
eight weeks, she hopes to help the interns learn as much as
possible about Armenia.
The AYF Page will update its readers on the progress of the
AYF interns as the program proceeds throughout the next two
months. We will keep you posted on their experiences and
share their observations as they set off on their journey of
a lifetime.
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