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August 05, 2010
Young Professionals of Southern California Unite at Kern River
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AGBU Young Professionals at Kern River during this year's "Armos in the Wild" event organized by YP Los Angeles. -
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AGBU Young Professionals experiencing the thrill of whitewater rafting at Kern River.
By Aleen L. Khanjian
Pasadena, California - From July 23 to July 25, 2010, nearly thirty Young Professionals from the YP Los Angeles group of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) left the city and met in Kernville, California, for a weekend of "roughing it" with their peers. This Armos in the Wild: The Sequel! weekend was the second in what has quickly become an annual YPLA tradition, which included activities such as bonfires and camping under the stars. This year's highlight: whitewater rafting.
"The goal of this trip is to get out of our comfort zone and day-to-day routine, and to really experience life outside the city," said Sevana Melikian, Chair of the AGBU YPLA and organizer of the Armos in the Wild: The Sequel! weekend. "We have a broad membership base and we try to provide as many diverse events as possible, to appeal to different members. We felt that spending a weekend under the stars in the middle of California would be a nice way to do something a little different, and enable our YPs to experience the natural beauty of this state." The weekend getaway also proved that by Sunday morning, memories were made and bonds were formed among the attendees. The campers were representative of a diverse cross section of the Armenian community, which is the greatest accomplishment of the getaway. "This annual event really allows for people to get to know each other and see one another outside the standard context in which young professionals generally meet nowadays," added Melikian.
YPLA is the Los Angeles Chapter of the AGBU Young Professionals -- a growing network of individuals, between the ages of 22 and 40, who individually and collectively mirror the AGBU's mission to preserve and promote Armenian identity and heritage by adding dimensions to the lives of young professional Armenians through educational, cultural, social and humanitarian programs. YPLA puts on monthly activities, including social-networking and professional career-building events, signature weekend getaways, hiking and camping trips, international video-conferences, service-oriented activities targeted toward Armenian youth, benefit events, as well as casual get-togethers, where up to 250 young Armenians can come together to exchange ideas and get to know each other better. YPLA is always looking for individuals who would like to volunteer their time either as a board member or on an event-by-event basis. For more information on how to get involved with YPLA, please contact: agbu.ypla@gmail.com.
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