A Volunteer, A Rug Company and now the American University of Armenia

Oftentimes volunteers come to Birthright to see if they can find their place in Armenia, and while Birthright does serve this purpose, we often encourage our volunteers to create their niche if they can’t seem to find one. One of the best examples of this is Kyle Khandikian.

Kyle Kandikian was born and raised in Los Angeles. He attended Ferrahian High School, a staple of Armenian identity in Southern California. Kyle would go on to study Communications and Asian Humanities at UCLA, and get a job at Warner Brothers Records after graduation…so why did he choose to leave this life and come and live his life in Armenia?

It started with Birthright

In December 2015, Kyle joined Birthright Armenia. “I knew I was someone who didn’t want to be on the sidelines of Armenia,” he says. “I was always patriotic, and I wanted to be an active player.”

Kyle originally planned to stay for just a year, quickly realized that wasn’t going to be enough. So after his volunteership he started working at ONEArmenia, where he learned about digital marketing, digital storytelling, and with all of the other experience he amassed there, Kyle was able to build his business.

Kyle started his company The Rug Code, an online shop for handmade rugs from village-based weavers in Armenia. The Rug Code’s mission is to deliver high-quality rugs from Armenia to shoppers around the world, sharing where they come from, what they’re made of, and who makes them,reating real economic benefits for rural weavers in the process.

Unfortunately, Armenian rugs and rug making has been on a downward decline for years and Kyle saw an element of Armenian culture, history, identity and tradition in jeopardy so he decided to do something about it. It took him 7 years thinking and brainstorming to figure out exactly what to do with Armenian rugs. Eventually, Kyle established his business which is helping reignite the Armenian rug industry in rural communities by jump-starting it economically. By all accounts, the Rug Code is Kyle’s passion where he created his niche in Armenia instead of finding it.

But this is not where the story ends.

The American University of Armenia

Recently, Kyle became the Director of Alumni Relations at the American University of Armenia (AUA). His time at ONEArmenia, Warner Brothers Records, and his education made him the perfect candidate for the role.

“I’m really excited to have recently joined the Office of Alumni Relations and to be connecting with AUA’s over 7,000 accomplished and remarkable graduates in Armenia and around the world,” Kyle says. AUA as we all know is a pedestal for Armenia’s growth and development, and we are proud that one of our volunteers holds such a pivotal role at one of the finest institutions in Armenia.

Not Talking but Doing

When Kyle was asked if any of this would have come about if he had not come to Armenia through Birthright he replied “If it weren’t for Birthright, I don’t know how I would have navigated life in Armenia. It made it easy to come, land, and build a network. Birthright changed the entire trajectory of my life,”

Kyle Khandikian has now been living in Armenia for 9.5 years now and we are proud to call him an Alumni volunteer. He is a prime example of finding your niche and creating one as well. His efforts not only promote Armenia’s growth but preserve its past. Thank you Kyle for the work you do and the inspiration you are.