“Everyone has a skill to share”
Volunteer lawyer connects with Armenian students through AMVN
The Armenian Volunteer Network (AMVN) is an educational nonprofit founded in 2020 by educators from the U.S. and Armenia. Its mission is to improve educational opportunities for Armenian students while creating ties between the people of Armenia and the rest of the world. The organization recruits, trains and links volunteers with Armenian universities, institutions and organizations where they teach and share their knowledge. Volunteers from around the world meet with their paired students once or twice a week over Zoom.
Susan Pogharian, an AMVN volunteer, spoke with Ben Schmitt, a Kansas City lawyer who teaches Business Law to Armenian students through the AMVN program.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Susan Pogharian (S.P.): What is your background and what do you teach through AMVN?
Ben Schmitt (B.M.): I am a practicing attorney with 35 years of experience and teach Business Law to Armenian students. I deal with legal contracts on a daily basis and was able to share that knowledge with my students.
S.P.: How did you first become involved with AMVN?
B.M.: My mother, Heripsima (Rose) Shurelian, was Armenian. My maternal grandfather and grandmother (maiden name Mazmanian) came to the U.S. from Armenia. Despite this, I knew very little about Armenia or its culture and wanted to know more. By chance, I met Kristina and Seroj Terian. They explained about AMVN, and I offered to help. It has been a perfect way to learn more about the people and culture of Armenia and interact with students.
S.P.: What were your expectations for the program versus the reality?
B.M.: I expected to have a language barrier. Since I was teaching U.S. law, I anticipated difficulty explaining certain concepts. But the reality was quite different—most, if not all, students were fluent in English and we had no difficulty communicating. Furthermore, the students were very eager to learn and grasped the “foreign” concepts quite easily.
I did not expect to learn much about Armenia, and I have much more to learn, but Isabella (my coordinator) always shared information with me and the students would send me pictures. I loved the interactions beyond the Zoom classroom.
S.P.: How have your tutoring sessions evolved over time?
B.M.: In the beginning, my lectures were on broader topics, not really focused on the nuts and bolts of applying the concepts. Over time, I realized that the students were extremely bright and quite capable of applying the concepts to a specific fact pattern. So, as time went on, I would discuss specific situations and ask the students to apply the law and come to a conclusion. This made for many lively discussions and a very fun experience that exceeded my expectations.
S.P.: What common themes do you see among groups of students?
B.M.: My students were serious about the subject matter. I am quite confident that they all will apply something they learned in class at some point in the future.
Most importantly and most impressive to me was the students’ ability to take a position and defend it. They were decisive and had the ability to defend the position when tested. I was pleasantly surprised with their abilities.
S.P.: What similarities and differences do you see in the Armenian students’ educational background versus what you are teaching? Is it all new to them or are you expanding on their knowledge base?
B.M.: I started out with a dozen students initially, but a few decided this was not the program for them. Some students had legal knowledge, some were working in law, others were considering a law career, so I had a span of backgrounds and abilities.
We met once a week for 15 weeks. For each class, I would prepare a rule, idea or concept and we would have hypothetical discussions. I was happy to see students take a stand, often an opposing stance, and debate a situation. Debating ethical decision-making, keeping an open mind and respecting others’ points of view was key.
S.P.: What effect have you seen AMVN have on your students?
B.M.: Class participation increased over time. You might say that a few of the students gained confidence as time went on. Students were eager to learn, showed up on time and, I hope, will carry these skills with them.
S.P.: Was there one student or story that stands out?
B.M.: I think of one student in particular. While the class had several vocal contributors, this particular student gained confidence and was a leading contributor by the time the class ended. Her strides were on a personal level—perhaps the subject matter helped with this. She started out quite subdued in the beginning, but as time went on, she interacted more, and she ended up becoming a thought leader.
S.P.: What are the strengths of AMVN and are there any aspects you would like to see improved upon? How would you like to see the program evolve?
B.M.: I was amazed at the number of students who took the class. I was initially afraid there would not be much participation, but the students were excellent. I really have no suggestions for improvement. It all went well.
As for the evolution of the program—it is purely personal—but if asked to teach again, I would like to travel to Armenia and teach a class in-person.
S.P.: That leads me to my next question: do you wish or plan to visit Armenia?
B.M.: Yes! Traveling to Armenia is on my list of things to do—actually, it is on the top of my travel list. Meeting students beyond a Zoom screen would be a bonus, along with everything else Armenia has to offer.
S.P.: Why and how would you encourage others to get involved with AMVN?
B.M.: I looked forward to class each week. It was very rewarding to share my experience with great students. It was always a pleasant experience to interact with outstanding young people.
Why do it? It was a really rewarding experience: always positive and upbeat. I encourage others to try it, too; everyone has a skill they can share.
