SINCERITY, HOSPITALITY AND KINDNESS THE MAIN FEATURES OF TYPICAL ARMENIAN: ARMENIA IN THE EYES OF AMERICAN ARMENIAN WOMEN
By Aram Araratyan

ArmInfo
2009-07-23 17:05:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Assembly of America conducts Summer Internship
Program every year. This year 8 American Armenians studying at the
U.S. universities visited their historical motherland under this
program. Many of them have never been in Armenia before. As part of
the Summer Internship Program they will stay in Armenia for 2 months
starting from mid June till mid August.

AAA Regional Director for Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh Arpi Vardanyan
and Summer Internship Program Coordinator Vram Karaqeshishyan say
in an interview with ArmInfo. Students Talene Ghazarian and Kathryn
Mgrublyan shared their impressions of Armenia as well.

"In Washington this program was launched in 1977", Arpi Vardanyan
says. The program pursued several goals: to make it possible for
Armenian students in America get working experience; to promote
contacts between the American and Armenian youth and to work with
the Armenian Diaspora for the welfare of Armenia. In 1998 an idea
originated to implement a similar program in Armenia and already
in 1999 the first group of American-Armenian students visited their
historical motherland.

Arpi Vardnayan is sure that visiting Armenia students will better
understand the problems of our country and the challenges it has fa
ced. Some participants in the Program return to Armenia on permanent
residence, others remain in the USA learning more about their identity
and better realizing it. Due to this, they start contributing to
development of local Armenian communities, which is rather important,
Arpi Vardanyan says.

Vram Keshishyan, Summer Internship Program Coordinator, says
the students arriving in Armenia as part of this program work at
the Ministries, state and non-governmental institutions, medical
centers and other establishments for 2 months. At present students are
undertaking an internship at the ministries of culture, youth and sport
affairs, finance, economy, foreign affairs, education and science,
health, as well as at Nork-Marash Hospital, Nairi Center, Center of
National and International Studies, Ombudsman’s Office and others.

Student Talene Ghazarian will stay in Armenia longer than
envisaged. She is a nutritionist temporarily working at Nairi Medical
Center in Yerevan. She says Yerevan is a very beautiful European city
with ancient architecture and warm and hearty people. She is impressed
with the sights and nature of Armenia. She is going to return to
Armenia after graduating from the university and work in the regions
to apply her knowledge and skills in Armenia where nutrition problems
are not paid a proper attention. Talene is surprised that people in
Armenia smoke so much, even more than in California she is from. She
also co mplains of overloaded traffic.

Another student Kathryn Mgrublyanm, who is learning literature and
psychology in the USA is currently working at the Center of National
and International Studies and Diaspora Ministry in Armenia. She
is engaged in comparison of the stands of local Armenians and the
Armenians in Diaspora regarding the Armenian Genocide of 1915. "I
think that sincerity, hospitality and kindness are the main features
of a typical Armenian," she says.

The participants in the Summer Internship Program have visited many
sights in Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh as well as Golden Apricot
Film Festival.