Alumni Spotlight: Zachary Antoyan

Where were you born?  And where do you currently live?

I was born in Fresno, California. I currently reside in San Luis Obispo, California. It’s a small town on the (beautiful) Central Coast, literally halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

When you were a volunteer, how old were you, where did you volunteer and for how long?

In 2012 when I was a Birthright volunteer, I was 19, and volunteered in Yerevan at the Armenian Center for National and International Studies. The duration was for just under 3 months.

What did you do after you finished your volunteer service?

I had to leave Armenia, unfortunately, right after my volunteer service ended. School, at the time, was starting soon and I needed to be back for it.

What are you currently doing?

Right now, I work at the Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy, which is a non-profit institute that tries to solve problems with technology. Most of my time is spent working on our project, Digital Democracy, that focuses on transparency in the California State Legislature. I’m just beginning to work in the civic-technology industry, and it’s been pretty amazing so far.

How has Birthright Armenia’s experience played a role in your life, and when choosing your life’s path?

Well, on one level, it completely dismantled and reformed my Armenian identity. I came to Hayastan with one conception of it, left with my identity completely upended, and was only recently able to nail it down again during the Heritage Tour to Historical Armenia. On another level, it opened up the world to me. Before my Birthright experience, I had never travelled outside of the country. And now with a better understanding of the process and a thirst for new experiences, I plan on visiting the host of alumni friends that live all over.

Have you been to Armenia since your volunteer experience?  What year and for what purpose(s)?

My only return trip since 2012 came this past summer during the Alumni Heritage Tour to Historical Armenia. It was interesting, because in that three year span, it seemed like everything had changed and also nothing had. It was amazing to be back, though, and I wish that it could have been longer.

What is the biggest change you’ve had in your life since you were a volunteer?

Since graduating with my undergrad degree, life has been pretty tumultuous. This state of transition is a little bit craziness, having gone from school my whole life to zero school. But aside from that, the biggest change is that I’m a little older and a little wiser since volunteering; and it’s good to know that the learning doesn’t stop outside of the school environment.

Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

Considering that my life plan, even at the 1-2 year interval, is in a constant state of flux, I’d say that in 5-10 years, the only thing I can hope for is to love what I’m doing and love where I am. I want to stick with the civic-technology industry to build some really cool civic engagement tools. But hey, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I’ll stick to the modest wish of regular trips to Hayastan.

Additional thoughts you might want to share with the readers:

I just want to thank everyone at Birthright for planning and putting on the Heritage Tour. Not only was it a fantastic opportunity to learn and meet many other alumni, it also allowed me to do some much needed processing about my original Birthright stay. Also, good timing, because that region is all sorts of unrestful right now.