‘Pathway to Armenia’ Program Impacts Future Course of Birthright Alumni

Birthright Armenia alum Marisol Khadeyan from Argentina, 20th participant in the Pathway to Armenia program, at work preparing her job applications.

Marisol Khadeyan, 28, the most recent participant in the Pathway to Armenia program, is a young woman on a mission.  Like the 19 applicants to the program before her, she is hoping to find a paying job in her field of interest in Armenia, one that will afford her the opportunity to stay long-term.  The Pathway to Armenia program was created in early 2013 specifically to support the growing number of Birthright Armenia alumni around the world interested in returning to Armenia for work purposes.  Accepted applicants receive three months of subsidized housing at the Birthright House and technical assistance from staff members, in an effort to ease the financial and logistical burdens associated with job hunting in Armenia.

After serving as a Birthright Armenia volunteer for eight months in 2013-2014 in Gyumri, Artsakh and Yerevan, Marisol left her Argentinian hometown of Cordoba behind for an August 2015 return to the homeland.  Marisol is the 20th Birthright Armenia alum to return to Armenia post volunteerism via the Pathway to Armenia program.  More impressively, she represents the 76th alum to move to Armenia.  “I enjoy politics and working toward social change, and feel there is ample opportunity to engage in such activities here in Armenia and help bring about change,”