Something About Vartouhy

I first met Vartouhy Kojayan in 1991. But I've known her since my childhood, I have collaborated with her for twenty years and she is, you might say, my friend for the rest of my life.

But first, to get to know her, we must travel back to Beirut, Lebanon of the 60's: Modern, liberal, more French than Arabic. A gem of a city. A center of the arts, education and commerce. This, was the Beirut of Vartouhy's youth, and the Beirut of my childhood.

By Armenian terms, the city was host to various organizations founded for the youth, students, University students and professionals. Groups of people gathered across the city to weigh their interests in politics, culture, sports, business or charity.

Newpapers? More than a dozen, including dailies; Publications? Hundreds of books printed each year; Theatre companies? More than five permanent ones; Radio stations? Quality programming with news and analysis (some, by Vartouhy and her team,) and the broadcast of contemporary music made by Beirut's own home-grown talents Adiss and Manuel, and Armenia's stars Raisa Megerdichyan and Roupig Matevosyan.

The list of world renowned figures who made stops in Beirut on their way around the world included Charles Aznavour, Aram Khachadourian, Peter O'Toole, Sophia Loren, Herbert Von Karayan,  and Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space.

Armenians of Beirut had celebrities of our own: Seza, an trend-setter in defining women's role in society, a feminist of the time; Berj Fazlian, the founder of modern theatre in Lebanon, and Vartouhy's mentor and role model in all things artistic; Dickran Tosbat, a true free-thinking, independent journalist; Paul Guiragosian, whose paintings had taken the region by storm; Varoujan Khedeshian, the genius of avant-garde theatre and director of " Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf," in Armenian; and Krikor Satamian, actor and director of "Cyrano de Bergerac"... that marvel of French classics, staged ... in Armenian, of course.

When people referred to the "A" in the AUB (the American University of Beirut) as standing for "Armenian," they were not joking. Armenians carried their weight in the departments of engineering, pharmacy, nursing and medicine, both as students and faculty.

Then there was the ideological Beirut. The city was open forum to Levon Shant, Kersam Aharonian and Armen Gharib. Writers, educators, newspaper editors... activists of different political persuasions, united merely by a common language.

In 1965, over 50,000 Armenians gathered in the city's largest stadium to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Genocide (ten years later 200,000 marched in peace.) From thereon, Armenian students of Haigazian College took on the role to actively advance  Genocide recognition as a cause. Vartouhy was a student there at the time.

By the time the sixties ended, there emerged in the world the very model of a modern, educated and sophisticated Armenian woman, and Vartouhy (née Keshishian) was one of them.

It was with this background, education and attributes that, twenty years later, she was recruited by the founders of the AGBU School in Los Angeles. She assumed administrative responsibilities for which she was understandably very well prepared.

I myself arrived to the scene, at the same School, as a parents and a volunteer, with ideas of my own, and a Saroyanesque notion of an Armenian in America. In my mind, the Armenian schools were newly-granted experiments, offering us an unprecedented opportunity to draw new parameters of identity and belonging.

Many were accepting of my ideas, and I was fortunate. Of all those who were welcoming, Vartouhy Kojayan was the most perceptive. By the time I got to access  volunteers who would make up a team to put ideas to action, the criteria were drawn on a list,  and they required  individuals who would populate it with positive check-marks next to each.

When it came to Vartouhy:

Unique style... check,
Artistic... check,
Professionalism... check,
Worldly knowhow...check,
Fluent to speak and write Armenian... check,
Civility ... check,
Ability to listen to, understand and discuss ideas... check, check, check!
And most importantly, eyes and ears to scout young talents ...check.

After all we were about to expand the opportunities of young talents, to create a stage for them, celebrate our culture and heritage, and rally an entire community to become part of the journey.

This, was the beginning of our collaboration, and it was one roller-coaster of a ride. For the next twenty years, Vartouhy's signature knack to structure a plan raised funds, rallied more than 360 volunteers to participate, and an entire generation of students to build memories. It brought value to the School, and I will never forget it, neither will thousands who worked with her.

So, what does the future hold for Vartouhy? Well, well, well! That, my friends, is the million dollar question, and the answer lies in her life's story - respect, trust and, of course, love. The very meaning of a career well spent, and a life well lived.

Where's all that to be found? First and foremost, with family - husband, son and daughter - and definitely with the little ones, otherwise known as grandchildren.

Then, there's friends - good friends, real friends, and honest friends. Perhaps, all of you.
You, across this page ... and I.

Now you understand what I meant when I said that I've known Vartouhy since my childhood, I have collaborated with her for twenty years, and she is my friend for the rest of my life.