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Hidden Road Initiative

News & Blog

Find out what's new at HRI and read what our volunteers have to say about their adventures in Armenia! 

HRI 2017 - Day 6

7/1/2017

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Contributor- Gagik Movsisyan

I was born in a village called Aghin in Armenia in 1994 and I lived in Sarakap. I moved to the US in 2000 and visited once in 2007 -- it has been ten years since the last time I was here.

I tried to plan a trip during the past two summers, but both times didn't work out. I was finally able to make plans to go to Armenia a few weeks after graduating in December, then that date changed to March. I bought my ticket and "finalized" my plans to lead a workshop at TUMO from March to May. A few weeks later, I had to cancel my flight and my trip. It had been about four months since I had graduated and I started wondering if I should keep trying to make this trip happen.  "Maybe I should just stay, get a job, and help my parents." 

​People asked me why I wanted to go and I couldn't answer them -- I didn't know how to translate that inner desire to words. I wondered if I was being a fool. Putting my college degree and career goals on hold to... "go teach kids in Armenia about technology"? I was discouraged and in limbo.

It was around then that I found out HRI camp was happening in June and I was accepted to help teach a computer class. This was when things started to fall into place.

My plans had failed, but what this failure led to was something better and more exciting than what I had tried to plan. I was now set to spend three months in Armenia: teach coding in Shvanidzor, kindergarten construction in Jrashen, then lead technical workshops in Gyumri and Yerevan.

Around this time, a good friend of mine reminded me about the last line of my UC Personal Statement (college application essay) that I wrote back in 2012:

"I intend to use my successes to go back to Armenia, build schools, and create opportunities for children who have not been as fortunate as I have been as a naturalized American citizen"

It is now my second week in Shvanidzor teaching coding to the kids here, and I feel like I'm doing what I was meant to do.
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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission and Impact
    • Team Members
    • Chapters >
      • UC Berkeley
      • UC Los Angeles
      • UC San Diego
      • CSU Northridge
      • AGBU MDS
    • History
  • Summer Camps
    • Summer 2022
    • Summer 2021
    • Summer 2020
    • Summer 2019
    • Summer 2018
    • Summer 2017
    • Summer 2016
    • SUMMER 2015
    • Summer 2014
    • Summer 2013
    • Summer 2011
  • Projects
    • Henry Keledjian Service Program
    • Project Hope (Artsakh)
    • English Tutoring Program
    • Virtual Learning Resources
    • Holiday Backpacks for Artsakh
    • Jrashen Kindergarten
    • School Renovations
    • Tsaghkaber Kindergarten
    • UCLA Toy Drive
    • Heaters & Stoves
    • Computer Classes
    • Sturdy Shoes
    • Winter Coats
  • SCHOLARSHIPS
    • 2022-2023 Scholars
    • 2021-2022 Scholars
    • 2020-2021 Scholars
    • 2019-2020 Scholars
    • 2018-2019 Scholars
    • 2017-2018 Scholars
    • 2016-2017 Scholars
  • News & Blog
  • Donate
  • Contact Us