Mixing Education with the Homeland Is More Important than Ever

While at Columbia, Mikaelian was active in many Armenian organizations, such as the Armenian Society of Columbia (serving as president) and the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Manhattan Moush Chapter. She’s also a recipient of the Gold Medal from the Armenian Students Association of America and a scholarship from the Huys Foundation.

On her own initiative, Danielle created “Armenian Accepted” to provide free college application consulting services to Armenians in Armenia and the diaspora as well. Among many reasons Danielle engaged in Armenian affairs, she highlighted that “[Armenians] are a minority group, and we have to keep our culture alive…unfortunately we are still facing existential threats to our nation.”

Furthermore, Mikaelian became fully immersed in the Armenian community through coursework on Armenia and attending Armenian professional events hosted by the Armenian Bar Association and AGBU Young Professionals. Mikaelian also worked with Columbia University’s Armenian Center and helped coordinate efforts to identify hate crimes committed in Artsakh through Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights. Danielle proudly stated that “[b]eing involved with the Armenian community made me grow in many different ways…working together toward collective goals is extremely gratifying.”

Mikaelian said she finds that the Armenian community gives back to those who are committed to it, and for her, being involved in it as an undergraduate was a very rewarding experience.

Levon Brunson – Brown University

Levon Brunson is a 2021 graduate of Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Originally from Colorado, Levon now calls Boston his home.

During his undergraduate years, Brown University did not have an active Armenian Students’ Association (ASA) chapter, and therefore Levon and other Armenians on campus decided to restart the organization. On why he decided to even get involved, Brunson stated that “It’s deeply rewarding and fun to be around people who share the same culture, food, dances, etc. … You feel understood.”

Beyond social gatherings, Brown’s ASA did have plans to partner with wider Rhode Island universities’ ASAs, which unfortunately were canceled due to the pandemic. However, that didn’t stop Levon from thinking big.

During the July 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes, Brunson, and other ASA leaders co-founded ASA United, a united coalition of Armenian American students from 60+ universities across the United States and Canada. Initially, they focused on fundraising for the Armenian Wounded Heroes Fund and fighting disinformation during those skirmishes and the 2020 Artsakh War. Furthermore, he actively participated in an Armenian dance group and was a Division I Fencer for Brown University.

Since graduating, Brunson has continued working to establish an ASA United Alumni network and mentorship program.

Through Armenian activities Brunson said, “I found something that’s my calling, which is participating and contributing to the Armenian cause.”

Currently, Levon is the founder of his own startup, Flexibly, an AI-driven personal assistant and workspace. He believes that being a leader of and participating in various Armenian organizations prepared for that role; “In terms of organizational skills, speaking, leadership and confidence, I’m really happy I participated in these sorts of things through ASA.”

Armine Kalbakian – Cornell University

Armine Kalbakian is a member of Cornell University’s Class of 2020 and hails from “Little Armenia” in California. Her family is from various Western Armenian diasporas (Lebanon, Syria, and Ethiopia) and Kalbakian herself is fluent in reading, writing, and speaking Western Armenian.

As an undergraduate, she double majored in anthropology and archeology, with minors in business, global health, and Near Eastern studies. Through academic interests and coursework, Kalbakian said she was “[a]lways looking for ways to study or incorporate Armenia,” whether it was writing comparative papers on ethnic communities in anthropology, Near Eastern Studies courses on the Caucasus, or archeology courses which also included Armenian history.

In addition to academia, Kalbakian was extremely active in engaging with the Cornell Armenian community, hosting informal language classes, lectures on Armenian topics, and community socials. Additionally, Kalbakian dedicated her summers to working on the Armenian cause, often in ways that intersected with her own interests. This included volunteering in Armenia and Artsakh as an AYF Youth Corps counselor teaching day camps to children and teenagers and interning at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C for their Armenia: Creating Home program at the 2018 Folklife Festival.

Her motivation and drive to be involved came, in her words, “naturally… I was raised by a very հայրենասէր [patriotic] (family) and grew up in a strong Armenian community.” In addition to personal fulfillment, Kalbakian mentioned that being a part of such a tight-knit community allows for more genuine connections and opportunities and amplifies the impact that someone can have.

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As exemplified by the above personal narratives, involvement in Armenian affairs as an undergraduate provides many benefits, whether they be social, academic, or professional. It goes without saying, the relationship is two ways. In many aspects, Armenia and Artsakh also stand to benefit from the diaspora, as the diaspora acts as a bridge between Armenia and the outside world (among many roles). Whether it’s furthering research in America about underrepresented Artsakh, filling voids in academic fields not fully developed in Armenia or increasing awareness of Armenian issues to non-Armenians on campus, the support students can provide to the homeland while abroad is priceless. The war in Artsakh was devastating and exposed just how unprepared and disorganized we were as a people, both in Armenia and abroad (a topic which merits its own entire discussion). The war and subsequent events also highlighted the indifference of the world, urgency for Armenians to defend themselves, and need for the global Armenian community to be proactive and unified for future crises. In my view, being involved in Armenian affairs as a student (no matter how big or small), is a great way to contribute to the development of both a stronger, smarter, self and nation.