Volunteer to Professional: Arpa Vartanian

Arpa Vartanian, from Annandale, Virginia, was a Birthright Armenia volunteer in Summer 2012 and decided to come back to Armenia in 2014 to find work through Birthright Armenia’s Pathway to Armenia program.

I made the big (and somewhat scary) move to Armenia last September after graduating college. Just a short month and a half later, I landed a job with VGM Partners, a company headquartered in the UK that oversees the formulation, implementation and general management of donor-funded development projects across the globe. As Project Acquisition Specialist, my main responsibility is drafting proposals for EU, World Bank and USAID contracts.  I also formulate project budgets, contract experts for assignments and collaborate with international partner firms on proposal development and submission.  I never thought I'd gain any significant professional experience here in the Homeland after all the pessimism I faced regarding my decision to move to a country with the catchphrase «էս երկիրը երկիր չի».  It takes years for young professionals in the development field to qualify for proposal writing positions anywhere else in the world; yet here I am, fresh out of college, doing the very same thing an employee of five years in the US would be doing.

Every night in Yerevan is a Friday night; there is never a day I come home from work without having any plans for the evening. Whether it's meeting with friends for a drink, dinner, concert or party, I love spending time with fellow repats from all over the world who are just as excited and curious as I am to be experiencing life in Armenia.  The fun doesn't stop in Yerevan; on the weekends, we plan overnight trips out-of-town to escape city commotion and explore Armenia's mountains, valleys, rivers and gorges.  Although I am thousands of miles away from home, I consider my friends here as family and cannot express in words the tremendous support they've provided me from the moment I arrived in Yerevan.  

I moved to Armenia with two specific goals in mind; i) to gain international experience in my career and ii) identify the country's issues, demands and opportunities for growth at the micro-level.  Although these days may be the happiest and most exciting time of my life, I do not foresee myself staying in Armenia forever, partly because I cannot live without my big, loud and obnoxious family.  I do, however, plan on returning to Washington and investing in Armenia as an educated and focused Diasporan with realistic and feasible goals when the opportunity presents itself.  So thank you, Armenia, for giving me an eye-opening and unforgettable experience of a lifetime.

P.S. - To anybody thinking about moving to Armenia; stop thinking and just do it.  Perhaps it's time for you to consider Armenia a "Land of Opportunity" as well.

«Էս երկիրը երկիր ա»: