In this interview, you’ll hear from Serena Hatgis, a Peace Corps Youth Development volunteer in Armenia. Serena shares what daily life looks like, the work being done, and how service has shaped their personal and professional growth. You’ll learn about housing, cultural differences, project work, language learning, and what it’s like to live and work in a new country. This interview offers a real look into Peace Corps service and what future volunteers can expect.
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. What do you do as a Peace Corps Youth Development volunteer in Armenia?
As a volunteer in the Syunik region, I feel as though my plate is always full. For example, I often spend time with my Tatik (grandma). We often drink coffee, eat candy, and talk about what kind of work needs to be done in the garden. Every now and then, I have the opportunity to ride a horse with my host dad and brother. (I am wearing a helmet.)
At the community center, I work with local youth to develop their English communication, leadership, and life skills. Now that I’ve been at my permanent site for four months, I’ve developed a series of informal interviews. The purpose was to better understand my students’ English skills and reassess areas where I could improve.
I also spend a significant amount of time planning lessons. Most of my lessons last three to three and a half hours. And so, creating feedback systems, as well as showing up for my community, is important to me.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Armenia?
The biggest reason I joined the Peace Corps was through word of mouth. One of my closest friends, whom I looked up to, told me about her time serving in Thailand and how it shaped who she is today. The reason I chose Armenia was its rich cultural background and historical influence throughout the region.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Armenia?
I currently live in a village with around 552 people (including me). As far as food goes, I LOVE hoz khorovots (pork barbecue) with lavash! Often, my host mom will ask me what I want to eat that day, and I honestly don’t know what to say because I really just love food in general.
In terms of daily comforts, I often go hiking and exercise. I find that making time to exercise is very important to me, especially since most of my time is spent with others and at the community center. I honestly think I am very lucky to have my host family. There are a lot of lessons I’ve learned from them, and as the year progresses, I am positive I will learn even more.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
I think some of the interactions that stand out to me during my service are the small gifts I receive. I often walk around my village and say hi to everyone. During these walks, I’ll sometimes receive a head of sunflower seeds (refer to the picture), cucumbers, flowers, or fruit.
Another memorable experience is attending birthdays. The heartfelt toasts, the stray cats roaming beneath the table in search of scraps, and the endless plates of food appearing even when there is no room left on the table. These are the little moments I know I’ll never forget.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
5. How has language learning been for you in Armenia?
STUDY the language! But most importantly, create connections between grammar and vocabulary. For example, if you take the verb grel (գրել), meaning “to write,” you can recognize the same root in graseghan (գրասեղան), meaning “writing desk.” Another example would be grutyun (գրություն), meaning “written text” or “note.”
You don’t necessarily need to be great at speaking right away. That’ll come with time. But if you’re able to remember a few grammar rules and verbs, you can start creating a tree of connections.
From my experience, I think it’s been very unconventional. For the most part, I’ve been learning through jokes and a lot of mistakes. For example, when I’m helping my host mom cut around 75 bell peppers, she’ll tell me to hold the bowl. But I’ve forgotten the word for “to hold,” so I’ll look at her like, “What?” Then she’ll shove the bowl into my hands and say, “Serena jan!”
It’s moments like these when I fear that common sense can’t help me.
Final Thoughts
6. What final advice or thoughts would you share with future volunteers?
My final advice for future volunteers is that it doesn’t matter where you serve, as long as you’re happy. The work is hard, and so is learning your surroundings. But your passion will speak through any language. And I think if you have that, you’ll do just fine. 🙂
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Serena, you can live abroad, work with communities, and grow in ways you didn’t expect. Apply to the Peace Corps and take the next step.
The content of this post does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or Armenia Government.
