My name is Armine Jarahyan and I was born in Yerevan. After graduating from school, I studied Philology, Foreign Languages, and Literature at Yerevan State University. Alongside my university studies, I volunteered at the Armenian Red Cross Society for 4 years as a journalist and reporter. My work included taking photos and videos of the events that the Red Cross organized for the public and the refugees of Baku Pogroms. 

After getting my Master’s degree from YSU, I moved to Los Angeles and started a small silver jewelry business. Afterwards, I opened a photo studio where people could have their photos taken in Armenian traditional clothing. It was very fulfilling to see the joy and the spark in people’s eyes when they were in their traditional clothing.

However, I wanted to do more for the community, so I joined the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, which is a major cultural organization in the Armenian Diaspora and has branches in different countries around the world.

With Hamazkayin, we started to organize “Tohmik Yerego,” a cultural event with Armenian food, music, and a taraz show. Then I joined a group of volunteers working at the Hamazkayin Theatre Company and became a dedicated member of that family. We perform for Armenian School students and the public in Armenian, which is a rare sight to see in our community.

Living in the Diaspora is a unique experience because you are not fully cut off from your Armenian roots, but are also not fully immersed in foreign life. Programs such as the Diaspora Youth Ambassador Program will help us get deeper into those two different connections. I hope to create an atmosphere where youth in the Diaspora and Armenia feel more interconnected, have a better understanding of each other's lives, and create new welcoming opportunities on both ends. Maybe that is the beauty of it, to continue to be who you are and evolve and learn new skills and new things about yourself.