From Camp Haiastan to AYF Senior Olympics: Celebrating community and achievement

The following remarks were delivered at the 2025 AYF D.C. "Ani” Chapter’s November Dance on November 15, 2025. Thank you all for coming tonight. Before discussing our chapter's accomplishments at the AYF Senior Olympics, I first would like to talk about a place that is near and dear to my heart: AYF Camp Haiastan. My brother Jack and I first attended when we were 12. Naturally, I was nervous because it was my first year; I was from Virginia, eight hours away, while it felt like many kids lived nearby, and everything was new. Long story short, I liked my first year enough to go back a second year, and then a third, and a fourth and a fifth. I am beyond grateful to Camp for allowing me to meet other fellow Armenian youth from all over the country, and even the world, while forming a stronger connection and appreciation for our beautiful culture. From boreg making and Michigan hopping under the pavilion to a 50-person knockout game during free time, to Lip Sync night and everything in between, the two weeks always seemed to fly by — and by the end, no one wanted to leave. There is something about Camp that really bonds you with the people there. Those differences fade away, and you’re reminded of the incredible strength and unity within our community. As much as I loved being a camper, my time spent on staff meant even more. My first summer working was right after COVID, where Camp had not run the summer prior. We all still had to wear masks at times and, at first, it was quite up-in-the-air how Camp would operate that summer. Despite everything, it turned out to have no shortage of good times and memories. Even in times of uncertainty, the energy and spirit of Camp never wavered. Working on staff opened my eyes to the countless behind-the-scenes efforts that make Camp come alive — many of which are things you never realize as a camper. Even with all our hard work and energy put in day in and day out for these kids (and trust me, it’s a lot more than you might think), we were able to find so much fun and fulfillment while doing our jobs. As you can imagine, time in the woods was not always glamorous. There is something about experiencing the heat of a cabin with no A/C at night, handling drama between the older group girls or answering a younger group camper who asks when free swim is for the 10th time in a row that really bonds you together as staff. In addition to working with my best friends, I was able to build relationships with so many campers of all ages — who I still keep in touch with today; even the younger ones run up to you at Olympics, yelling, "Hi, Ungerouhi Lila!” There is just something so special and rewarding about that. What sometimes meant even more than the big moments — like coaching Olympics or camp-wide night activities — were the smaller ones: talks on the swings, staying up late in the cabin at night or playing cards by the pool after a long day. These might seem insignificant, but those are the moments that sometimes mean the most. I loved it so much, I decided at the last minute to go back this past summer for my fourth and final year on staff. Camp was short-staffed and reached out to see if I’d be interested in returning as a counselor. At first, I thought, "There’s no way.” As much as I’d love to, I worried it might hinder my job search as a recent college graduate, and that maybe I needed to "move on,” so to speak. But after a lot of thought — and not being able to shake how much I wanted to go back — I decided to do it, just for one session. Aside from my brother, our good friend Ani Dardarian from Philly, Hagop Alajajian from Detroit and myself, who were all 22, nearly everyone else on staff was 17 or 18. These were the same kids who used to be my campers. Just two years ago, I was catching them sneaking out of their cabin at night, and now, we were coworkers. It was honestly very cool; a full-circle moment. I couldn’t have been more glad to have made the decision to return. Each year I worked on staff was unique, and I loved every one of them. I was especially grateful to spend even just two weeks there this summer, which also happened to be Camp Haiastan's 75th year anniversary, celebrating the traditions and memories that have defined it for generations. In a way, this summer I felt a responsibility to return — to give back to my Armenian community and give the next generation of campers the same experiences that I was so lucky to have been given. That, I think, speaks to the impact this place has on people. If there are any parents out there who might be hesitant to send their child, any kids who are having their own doubts or even if you’re considering working but you’re worried because you never went as a camper, trust me: you will not regret going. It is so beneficial to meet others outside your local AYF chapter, and the experience can open many doors for you in the future. Some of my fondest memories came from 722 Summer Street. From strengthening connections to our Armenian culture, paving the way for future generations and the friendships that will last a lifetime — there is a reason they call it the happiest place on earth. Attending Camp is actually what inspired me to join my AYF chapter, and eventually start participating in the biggest event — and arguably the best weekend — of the year: AYF Senior Olympics. On Labor Day weekend, Boston hosted the 91st annual AYF Senior Olympics. Softball on Saturday is always one of the highlights: a day filled with competition, socializing and fun. This year, we were determined to put a solid team together to show the other chapters what D.C. is capable of. In the weeks leading up to Seniors, we worked hard to prepare. With a lot of planning and coordinating — finding times and places that worked for everyone — we were able to meet up, practice for a few hours and get comfortable playing together so we’d be ready for the games this time. It wasn’t easy, but we rallied the troops and got everyone on the same page. When Saturday came, we went up against Boston’s A team (don’t ask me why they paired us together), so we knew it would be a challenge, but that didn’t stop us. We scored the first run of the game, and the dugout completely erupted. It felt amazing to finally be competitive and to see all that effort pay off. The cheers, the energy — everyone, in that moment, was so proud to represent D.C. We ended up falling short of the win, but aside from that, the game really could not have gone much better. Just to put things in perspective, year after year, we’d show up for softball and struggle, to say the least. We’d get shut out, barely touch the bases and took what felt like ages to get any outs. At Detroit's Olympics, we couldn’t even field a full team, so we had to mix with Canada, and we’d never really practiced beforehand either. So, to go from that to actually competing was such a big step forward for us. I would like to thank our head coach, the one and only Unger Hratch Najarian, for being there with us every step of the way. From figuring out the softball lineup and talking strategy, to hyping us up at the track and getting us ready, we would not have found the success we had if not for your support, along with several others who helped us along the way. Sunday on the track, we continued our success. A majority of our points were earned by Davit Jelalian, who dusted the competition, going home with three medals. I also want to give a shoutout to our swimmers who earned us points on Friday night: Garren Davitian, and Karine and Lenna Kevorkian, earning medals to start the weekend off strong. All our efforts finally paid off. On Sunday night at the awards ceremony, we were all anticipating winning the Most Improved Chapter award. Some of us, myself included, were hoping for this award long before the weekend even started. Before that award was announced, they first read the recipient of the Ernest Nahigian Sportsmanship Trophy. He’s not here tonight to speak on this, but there was no one more deserving of this honor than Unger Njteh Hovsepian. He ran the two-mile and multiple relay races — despite hating running — to give us every possible chance to earn points. He sat himself out of softball to make room for players who gave us the shot at winning, even though it was his last year eligible to compete. Njteh has put so much into this chapter throughout his time as an AYFer, so a large part of our weekend was dedicated to him. With our record number of 22 participating athletes and our performance throughout the weekend, it truly felt so amazing for us to be awarded Most Improved Chapter. There was not a doubt in our minds that we had truly earned it. Accepting the trophy on stage was such a special moment, and we couldn’t have been prouder of everyone. I think this year really marked a new era for our chapter. This year’s success was thanks in large part to many of our Juniors who were eligible to compete for the first time. Boston better watch out next year, because I think this is only the beginning! But beyond athletics, Olympics truly represents the spirit of the AYF and what it means to be part of the Armenian youth. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together in the years to come.

From Camp Haiastan to AYF Senior Olympics: Celebrating community and achievement

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Lila Paul

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Lila Paul

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