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A LIFE OF OPPORTUNITY
Idaho Argonaut: University of Idaho
December 2, 2013 Monday
by: Andrew Jenson
>From one side of the world to Moscow, Ruben Tsarukyan has seen and
done much in his 18 years of life.
Currently a junior at the University of Idaho, Tsarukyan was born
in Yerevan, Armenia, in 1995. Only two years later, his family would
migrate to the United States and set up residence in Los Angeles.
"It was just after the collapse of the Soviet Union and there was a
war that went on in Armenia. Just, the conditions weren't so good,"
Tsarukyan said. "The United States being the land of opportunity,
my parents filed for a green card and we got it."
The spring semester of 2013 was Tsarukyan's first semester at UI.
Since then, he has become more involved and active in the Moscow
community - he currently sits on the Moscow Human Rights Commission
and recently attended the National League of Cities 2013 Congress
of Cities and Exposition with Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney and city
councilmember Tom Lamar.
"This beginning of the semester, I came back to (the) University of
Idaho after being home for three months for summer break, and I was
just so homesick," Tsarukyan said. "I just wanted to go back home
and, I was like, you know what? In order not to be homesick, to make
time go by fast, I have to get involved with something, volunteer,
do something."
This moved Tsarukyan to contact Chaney and seek ways to become more
involved in the community. Chaney applauded Tsarukyan's initiative
and determination.
"He is a person of - only 18 years of age - great initiative, he's
terrifically bright and motivated," Chaney said. "He knows where he
wants to go in this world and he's taking initiative to pursue those
interests. So I applaud him for that."
Tsarukyan lived in California for most of his life. At just 14 years
old, Tsarukyan decided he wanted to take his first college course.
"And after I took that first college course, I really liked college,"
Tsarukyan said. "I didn't want to go back to high school because,
you know, it's just a bunch of immature kids. After going from a
college course to back to high school, I thought, 'Why don't I just
start this early?'"
Tsarukyan left public high school in 10th grade and earned his high
school diploma via homeschooling. He attended Glendale Community
College for a few years before deciding to move on.
"I was 17 years old - I started looking at universities I could
attend," Tsarukyan said. "I wanted to go away from home, live alone,
you know, just to experience life, what it's like to be alone and have
responsibilities, and just that transition from being a teenager to
being a man."
In his search, Tsarukyan sought a university that could provide a
program to match his love for international politics. He found it in
UI's Martin Institute of International Studies.
"So, I looked into that and I love the program," Tsarukyan said.
Chaney said Tsarukyan would be a great asset to international
delegations, like the one she led to Japan in 2010. Tsarukyan said
he is grateful for what he has in the U.S., especially after a visit
to Armenia in 2008.
"Going from, you know, Los Angeles to visiting some of these villages
where their bathroom is in their backyard, it made me appreciate life
so much more. It made me appreciate life and what I had," Tsarukyan
said. "And, the opportunity my parents are providing me for a higher
education, a better education, better opportunity in life to get
somewhere. I don't know if I would if I was in Armenia."
Tsarukyan said he will return to Armenia the summer of 2014 for an
internship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tsarukyan said, from his own experience, it is important for UI
students to find and take advantage of their opportunities.
"I think it's really important to tell the students here ... know your
opportunities and take advantage of it," Tsarukyan said. "Know the
resources and take advantage of it. I'm just, I'm really connected
now with the community."
Andrew Jenson
From: Baghdasarian
Idaho Argonaut: University of Idaho
December 2, 2013 Monday
by: Andrew Jenson
>From one side of the world to Moscow, Ruben Tsarukyan has seen and
done much in his 18 years of life.
Currently a junior at the University of Idaho, Tsarukyan was born
in Yerevan, Armenia, in 1995. Only two years later, his family would
migrate to the United States and set up residence in Los Angeles.
"It was just after the collapse of the Soviet Union and there was a
war that went on in Armenia. Just, the conditions weren't so good,"
Tsarukyan said. "The United States being the land of opportunity,
my parents filed for a green card and we got it."
The spring semester of 2013 was Tsarukyan's first semester at UI.
Since then, he has become more involved and active in the Moscow
community - he currently sits on the Moscow Human Rights Commission
and recently attended the National League of Cities 2013 Congress
of Cities and Exposition with Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney and city
councilmember Tom Lamar.
"This beginning of the semester, I came back to (the) University of
Idaho after being home for three months for summer break, and I was
just so homesick," Tsarukyan said. "I just wanted to go back home
and, I was like, you know what? In order not to be homesick, to make
time go by fast, I have to get involved with something, volunteer,
do something."
This moved Tsarukyan to contact Chaney and seek ways to become more
involved in the community. Chaney applauded Tsarukyan's initiative
and determination.
"He is a person of - only 18 years of age - great initiative, he's
terrifically bright and motivated," Chaney said. "He knows where he
wants to go in this world and he's taking initiative to pursue those
interests. So I applaud him for that."
Tsarukyan lived in California for most of his life. At just 14 years
old, Tsarukyan decided he wanted to take his first college course.
"And after I took that first college course, I really liked college,"
Tsarukyan said. "I didn't want to go back to high school because,
you know, it's just a bunch of immature kids. After going from a
college course to back to high school, I thought, 'Why don't I just
start this early?'"
Tsarukyan left public high school in 10th grade and earned his high
school diploma via homeschooling. He attended Glendale Community
College for a few years before deciding to move on.
"I was 17 years old - I started looking at universities I could
attend," Tsarukyan said. "I wanted to go away from home, live alone,
you know, just to experience life, what it's like to be alone and have
responsibilities, and just that transition from being a teenager to
being a man."
In his search, Tsarukyan sought a university that could provide a
program to match his love for international politics. He found it in
UI's Martin Institute of International Studies.
"So, I looked into that and I love the program," Tsarukyan said.
Chaney said Tsarukyan would be a great asset to international
delegations, like the one she led to Japan in 2010. Tsarukyan said
he is grateful for what he has in the U.S., especially after a visit
to Armenia in 2008.
"Going from, you know, Los Angeles to visiting some of these villages
where their bathroom is in their backyard, it made me appreciate life
so much more. It made me appreciate life and what I had," Tsarukyan
said. "And, the opportunity my parents are providing me for a higher
education, a better education, better opportunity in life to get
somewhere. I don't know if I would if I was in Armenia."
Tsarukyan said he will return to Armenia the summer of 2014 for an
internship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tsarukyan said, from his own experience, it is important for UI
students to find and take advantage of their opportunities.
"I think it's really important to tell the students here ... know your
opportunities and take advantage of it," Tsarukyan said. "Know the
resources and take advantage of it. I'm just, I'm really connected
now with the community."
Andrew Jenson
From: Baghdasarian