On March 30th, 2023, we were honored with an invitation from Dr. Shushan Karapetian, Director at USC Institute of Armenian Studies, to address students in the MDA 330 Armenian Heritage class. Our topic, "Engaging Diaspora Youth with Armenia: Perspectives and Motivations," aimed to explore why youth from the Armenian diaspora, particularly those like us born and raised in Los Angeles, would feel compelled to connect with Armenia, especially with rural communities such as those in Lori, situated 7,000 miles away from our hometown.

Dr. Karapetian, who has been an invaluable mentor since 2022, particularly in guiding our Microloan project, expressed keen interest in understanding the underlying motivations for our engagement. This project of ours, which had gained attention through an article published by Asbarez on January 6th, 2023, was focused on empowering a rural community in Lori, Armenia.

What was initially planned as a 30-minute presentation evolved into an engaging and dynamic discussion lasting over an hour and a half, fueled by the students' deep interest and insightful questions. Their enthusiasm and curiosity about our journey, the challenges we faced, and our aspirations for making a meaningful impact were incredibly inspiring. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to share our passion and insights on such a significant topic with students who are equally eager to make a positive difference in the world.