Why I love being an AYF-YOARF Junior
What makes someone love being an AYF-YOARF Junior?
Is it the friendships? The educationals? The dances, Junior Athletic Games, Junior Seminar or local chapter events?
While every Junior’s experience is unique, one thing remains the same: The AYF-YOARF is much more than an organization. For more than 90 years, it has brought together Armenian youth from across the country to build lifelong friendships, strengthen their Armenian identity, serve their communities and carry forward the values of the Armenian people. Through educational programs, athletic events, cultural celebrations, community service and leadership opportunities, generations of Armenian youth have found a place where they can grow alongside others who share the same heritage and purpose.
For many Armenian youth, the AYF-YOARF is one of the first places where they truly discover what it means to belong to something larger than themselves. It is where strangers become friends, friends become family and Armenian identity becomes something lived rather than simply inherited.
When we asked AYF-YOARF Juniors from chapters across the country why they love being part of the organization, their answers revealed something deeper than favorite events or activities.
Again and again, members spoke about connection to friends, culture, community, history and their identity as Armenians.
Their words are a reminder that although every chapter may look a little different, the heart of the AYF-YOARF remains the same: A commitment to building the next generation of proud, engaged and connected Armenians.
Garen Takatlian of the Greater Boston “Nejdeh” Chapter said: “What I love about AYF is the connection I have to my Armenian roots and friends. The connection that AYF provides will keep our generation together and preserve our heritage, and that is what is most important to me!”
For others, AYF-YOARF is where they have formed some of their closest friendships.
Cameron Santerian of the Philadelphia “Papken Suni” Chapter said: “I love the AYF because it surrounds me with people who care just as much as I do about Armenia and our community. I also love the AYF because it has given me my closest friends and best memories.”
Experience at chapter meetings, educationals sessions, Junior Seminar, Junior Athletic Games and AYF Camp Haiastan create bonds that last far beyond childhood
Many Juniors also described the pride they feel as they learn about their heritage and deepen their connection to their Armenian identity.
Amy Karageozian of the Albany “Shoushi” Chapter said: “The AYF truly helps me grow as an Armenian and gives me a chance to be involved in my community.”
That growth happens every day — through conversations, lessons, traditions, service projects and the simple act of gathering as Armenian youth. Some responses captured the AYF’s emotional impact in ways that words often struggle to express.
Mourad Bagdasarian of the Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter wrote: “I love the AYF because I feel the connection to my fellow Armenians and my roots. It has taught me so much about myself and what I want to be like. I think everyone who has the opportunity to join AYF should experience the greatness of being a member.”
One of the most powerful reflections came from U. Tro Hamakorzian, a Detroit Junior: “The AYF isn’t just an organization to me; it’s where Armenian youth learn who they are and who they can become, while honoring their last names, family legacies and the Ungers before them.”
In a world where it can be easy to lose touch with our roots, the AYF reminds us who we are, where we come from and what responsibility we share in carrying our heritage forward.
One Junior captured that feeling beautifully in a poem.
Levon Jamgotchian of the Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter wrote:
“In the halls of Armenian Youth Federation, I found my voice,
A place where roots run deep and hearts rejoice.
Through stories, songs, and memories we share,
I feel my culture living everywhere.
It’s more than meetings, more than what we do,
It’s pride, it’s family, it’s something true.
That’s why I love it, strong, alive, and free,
A piece of Armenia inside of me.”
A piece of Armenia inside of me. Perhaps that is the simplest way to describe what the AYF-YOARF means.
For generations, the AYF-YOARF has helped Armenian youth build friendships, strengthen their identities and develop lifelong commitments to their people and communities. The experience differs for every member, but the feeling is often the same: a sense of belonging.
Whether you’re attending your first chapter meeting, your 10th Seminar or preparing to become a Senior member, the AYF-YOARF makes an impact that stays with you long after each event ends.
At its heart, the AYF is more than an organization.
It is a family. It is a community. It is a home.
For countless Armenian youth around the world, it is where a piece of Armenia lives on.
