Birthday Celebration in Support of AUA

3 min read

LOS ANGELES, California — During the planning of a recent 60th birthday party for Armik Agakanian, he and his wife Laura made the decision to mark the occasion with a generous gesture: directing all gifts toward raising scholarship funds for students at the American University of Armenia (AUA).

Armik and Laura Agakanian, successful entrepreneurs based in the Los Angeles area, have always paid high regard to their culture, heritage, and community. Thus, they have raised their children to similarly cherish their Armenian heritage, language, and cultural values, along with instilling in them a spirit for philanthropy. “We both orient our professional and personal lives around creating compassion and care for all those we meet,” they say.  

The Agakanians were introduced to AUA through one of their relatives, who had hosted a fundraiser for the University in their home. After attending the event, they decided to also support AUA. “We believe in empowering the youth, especially those in Armenia, so they may have the opportunity to advance their education and align themselves and Armenia’s achievements with the rest of the world,” they comment. 

With Armik’s 60th birthday approaching, he and Laura discussed how they could make a difference for AUA students while also paying tribute to his father in a meaningful way. They decided to set up a scholarship fund in his father’s name: the Vazgen Aghakhani Memorial Scholarship at AUA, and for Armik’s celebration, they asked guests to make a donation to the scholarship fund in lieu of birthday gifts. Armik comments, “We wanted to show gratitude and honor him on my birthday through the generosity of all our guests. We were grateful that they participated in giving to AUA.” 

When asked why it was important to uphold his father’s memory in this way, Armik explains how Vazgen was a strong supporter of Armenia and Armenian culture and how education was his number one priority, always advocating for his children and grandchildren to go “all the way” in receiving their bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. “My father grew up in Tehran as the oldest of four children. He only received formal education up to the 6th grade and didn’t have the opportunity or choice to continue his education since he had to work with my grandfather to provide for his family, sacrificing his own opportunities so the rest of his younger siblings could go to school.” 

Despite the lack of formal education, Vazgen was a self-taught historian, reading newspapers, books, and encyclopedias for hours on end, up until his passing. “He knew more about world history than anyone I know. I remember the first week we arrived in the United States, he purchased a full encyclopedia set, and with his broken English, he continued to read every day. He was more educated than his three siblings combined, despite them having formal education that surpassed his.” 

The Agakanians had a wonderful and joyous birthday celebration, filled with wonderful memories with their friends and family. Together, they successfully raised enough funds to set up the annual scholarship. They hope that others will be inspired to do the same. “May we all give back as much as we can, even if it means turning a birthday into an opportunity to raise funds in honor of a loved one — what a way to value our privilege. I am grateful we had the chance to honor my father on a special day that marked a personal milestone, while also glorifying a young Armenians path to further their educational development, which will lead to a stronger, smarter, and more globally aware future generation,” Armik expounds. 

Together, Armik and Laura continue to empower the youth through education and hope to see AUA grow its political studies programs geared toward educating leaders of tomorrow. The Agakanians hope to see others help transform the future of Armenia through their generous contributions to AUA and call upon their fellow diasporans to invest in and support education in Armenia.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values. AUA’s Office of Development stewards the University’s philanthropic efforts exclusively for educational purposes.