Help Hayk Hakobyan Go To College!

Meet Hayk Hakobyan: He is an 18-year old Armenian from Shurnuhk, a village with only 40 houses and 21 students studying in his school. He learned English in 3 years, mostly on his own using the internet, moved to the nearest town—Goris—and began a small business as a tour and hiking guide, the only business of its kind in a town frequented by tourists.

Check out his page here: Hikes With Hayk .


(Hayk reciting 'Briefly It Enters and Briefly Speaks' by Jane Kenyon in English at the National Poetry Recitation contest in Yerevan, Armenia)

Hayk’s can-do enthusiasm distinguishes him in a post-Soviet society too often marked by depression and defeatism. His dream is to study Travel and Tourism in America (there are no such programs in Armenia), return to his homeland, and become an agent for building the tourist economy in this beautiful, ancient land. You can help Armenia by helping Hayk!

We, a group of Peace Corps volunteers—charmed and inspired by Hayk’s passion and determination—are committed to help Hayk achieve his dreams by helping him raise $20,000, the amount needed for acceptance in a two-year program. He can room free of charge with a returned Peace Corps Volunteer who happens to live close to his school of choice, and he will be eligible for many scholarships after completing his first year of college. All we need to do is help Hayk with his first year and from there he will be off and running. Please consider giving him a little push!

(Hayk and Jenny on top of Goris' last mountain on one of our many hikes)

Thank you for taking the time to read Hayk's story!