When people ask about my educational background, I say that I attended small liberal arts schools in the Mid-West for my undergraduate and graduate studies. The response, I’m afraid, is often delivered in a polite, underwhelmed tone. As if to say, “good for you for getting yourself a nice little education.”
So, I’ve decided to reframe it. My new answer? I got an Armenian League Education.
You see, I’ve done an unscientific analysis of the benefits of the Ivy League educational experience and find that it’s rather like living among Armenians.
The first obvious commonality is the long-established traditions and historic presence of the Ivy League schools. There is no denying that Armenia has them all beat in this regard. The Ivy campuses may be old and beautiful, but they’re not Geghard. And they’re certainly not Tatev. The fight songs may be effective rallying cries for the home teams, but they have nothing on the unifying power of Gomidas.
That the Ivy League schools have sizable endowments is widely known. In fact, Harvard’s endowment alone is larger than Armenia’s gross domestic product. But Armenia has another kind of endowment: It’s called the diaspora. This resource creates businesses, builds roads, and relieves poverty in Armenia, while also advocating for support from the U.S. and other governments to build a nation after 600 years of foreign domination.
The diaspora provides a valuable network not unlike that acquired at an Ivy League school. An Armenian last name or fluency in the Armenian language might as well serve as secret passwords for entrance into the homes and offices of Armenians around the world. There is nothing homogeneous about this network besides ancestry. One might encounter an engineer, a diplomat, a musician, a lawyer, and a carpet businessman at the same social gathering. Diasporans are rich with the culture and language of Armenia as well as of their host countries.
They say that the Ivies are highly selective institutions. The students that attend them have achieved excellence in academics, among other things. I can’t say that Armenia handpicked me, but I’m glad for the serendipitous match. Indeed, it’s easy to find intelligent company among Armenians. Even as a relatively poor country, the high literacy and college graduation rates in Armenia reflect the value placed on education. And the laundry list of Armenian chess champions is but one other indicator of the intellectual prowess in the community.
The Armenian League Education also offers an advantageous student-to-teacher ratio. Whether you like it or not, there are at least two people willing to teach you—or simply tell you what to do—at any given time. While the Ivies may be firmly rooted in certain ways of thinking, the counsel you receive in Armenia is usually conflicting, so you are in no danger of developing one-dimensional views.
Without a doubt, an Ivy League name on your resume will draw attention most anywhere in the world. But listing Armenia on your resume is guaranteed to pique the reader’s curiosity. And let’s face it, if it doesn’t, we probably don’t want to talk to that person anyway. (Note: That kind of self-aggrandizement may be a weakness of both.)
Admittedly, the Ivy League education will command a higher salary—or at least the sense of entitlement to one—and this is one area in which my Armenian League Education may not be able to compete. Though I saved on tuition, I lost (or perhaps never gained) the motivation to pursue the almighty dollar with a vengeance. But I trust that the lessons from my Education will keep me good company once I’ve run out of retirement savings.
Yes, the more I write, the more I’m convinced of my new answer: I have an Armenian League Education. I’m relieved, really, that my parents didn’t have to sell the farm to make it happen. All I had to do was board a plane and not look back.
Kristi Rendahl
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Good stuff Kristi jan :-)
:-)
Ms. Rendahl: You put the rest of us to shame: there are many amongst born-Armenians who don’t see the diamonds-in-the-rough that you, a putative ‘Armenian-by-choice’, seem to have the unique ability to see. Thanks for the inspiration. On education: unfortunately there has been much deterioration of the level of education since the days of Soviet Armenia. This is normal and not unexpected given the massive societal and financial disruption the new republic was subjected to. We shall all strive and work together to bring back the superior level of Higher Ed that Armenians in RoA were accustomed to [despite the poor economic model, Soviet era pure science, particularly Math, Physics and such was 2nd to none – in some cases more advanced than the West]. ArmenianWeekly Editors: more article by Ms. Rendahl more of the time.
:) the only thing missing is an Ivy league football team!
Vik, how about an Ivy League ‘futbol’ team?
;-) Back atcha, folks.
Well said…..Kristi janigis….we in the diaspora must help keep the best and brightest in Mer Harrenakis….for they are our future !!!! Serovis
Ditto ….:)
Always a pleasur to read Kristi’s articles as it comes from someone who by blood does not belong to our race/culture but belongs to Armenians by choice and has accomplished so much than some who are Armenians by blood but could care less about preserving their country, culture and history…
Bravo..
Gayane….
I have been reading your new and old articles during the past two days. It is gratifying to read, from someone who was not born in our culture, about Armenia and Armenians in the way that you do. Your sensibility and open mind come through very clearly in your writings. Thank you for your kind and generous words. And thank you for chosing to be part of us.
Hagop,
I just came across your kind comments; thank you for taking the time to share them.
Very best,
Kristi