AGBU

My summer internship with AGBU was one I will always treasure. I was so impressed with the various options we were given for internships and how meaningful and purposeful they all were. I was lucky enough to work with YERAZ-an NGO that serves children with type 1 diabetes all over Armenia.
Every weekend was a new adventure with our group coordinators Arpi and Gayane and our diverse group of interns from all over the world. Gayane and Arpi made our group a cohesive family, we all loved and trusted each other thanks to their guidance and hilarious moments. My happiest moments were dancing and singing at restaurants after dinner, climbing Mount Aragats, going to dance lessons, exploring cathedrals, and walking through the streets of Yerevan.

Although I’ve traveled to Armenia previously, this was one of the best experiences I had. AGBU YSIP is an incredible and exciting program designed to offer professional growth and cultural enrichment for college-aged Armenians. The summer internship allows you to develop work experience while networking with seasoned professionals, all the whilst connecting with Armenians from the four corners of the world. There were always fun activities scheduled after work, bringing everyone together to learn more about our culture through language, dance and most importantly, food! During the weekends, there were trips organized to visit Armenia’s rural countryside, allowing me to see parts of it I had never traveled to before. The camaraderie of the group was great and this was one of my most fun trips to Armenia. I’d do it over again if I could! Overall 10/10 experience and I would highly recommend it!

This program is amazing! It’s a super great opportunity for anyone looking to connect with the Armenian culture and Armenia! It’s best suited for those that have not been to Armenia already. AGBU is an amazing organization. Having already been to Armenia before and already having learned things I was being taught was ok but I’d recommend it to those that aren’t that involved in the Armenian community. The staff was great and I loved the friends I made. For sure the best part of this program was the friends I made and getting to just be in Armenia. The housing is good, the day trips are fun and essential places to go to on any Armenia trip! This program is nice because it gives young people the opportunity to help Armenia grow and in turn helps them grow because of the work experience they acquire. Basically, it’s a beautiful country, great program, amazing connections and fantastic memories!

This experience that I partook in was undeniably one of the best experiences of my life. Being of Armenian descent I had always wanted to visit our ancestral homeland, however it was so much better then I could have imagined! During this program I was able to meet and connect with Armenians all over the world and formed friendships that would last a life time. We were placed into credible organizations that aligned with the careers we wanted to pursue and learned invaluable skills! The most exciting part of the program was going on excursions every weekend to different and historical parts of Armenia outside Yerevan! (Dilijan, Lake Sevag, Etchmiadzin, Garni, etc.) This trip granted me one of the single greatest experiences I have experienced so far!

YSIP was an amazing experience for people of Armenian descent or those highly involved with the Armenian community to go to the homeland and do internships in varying fields. I did my internship at TUMO, helping children learn the basics of programming; however, the best part of this program was outside the internship. Yerevan is a very fun city with a lot of things to do downtown. There also are a lot of very nice restaurants and everything is cheap. The best part, however, is being able to connect with varying groups from the Armenian diaspora. During my year, there were people from Lebanon, Syria, Italy, France, and the US. It was great to connect with people from such different backgrounds who were all connected by their Armenian heritage. Overall, I had a great time and would definitely recommend this program to anyone who is even slightly interested.