Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program alumna Hasmik Asatrian-Azoyan '96 credits her experience in the US as a large factor in her success today. Almost 20 years after completing the FLEX program, Hasmik is now a leader in her community who received Armenia's Young Businesswoman of the Year award from the Armenian Prime Minister, Tigran Sargsyan in April 2013.
Although her experiences in the US broadened her horizons, they also made Hasmik more proud of her own community, as she was inspired her to share the culture and history of her hometown, Sisian, in southern Armenia.
Hasmik and her husband own the Basen Hotel in Sisian, which is rapidly becoming the primary accommodation for tour groups and independent travelers in the Syunik region, thanks to the pair's efforts to modernize conditions and provide tailored and thoughtful support in English to international visitors. Hasmik says that much of her success can be attributed to her exchange experience. Hasmik's language skills are an obvious advantage in her career: "[My language skills are] a big advantage. Having been abroad, I can interact with agencies and tourists and help visitors to feel understood." Reviewers on sites such as TripAdvisor praise Hasmik's English and her welcoming disposition. Says one reviewer: "The great added value is the way Hasmik (the hotel manager) and the staff are willing to make you feel at home."
However, communication and language are not the only skills Hasmik brought back to Armenia. "Analytical thinking have helped me create realistic goals for the hotel," says Hasmik. For example, the original hotel offered shared bathrooms, which were unacceptable to some visitors; in 2007, the hotel renovated to offer en suite facilities, a change that Hasmik links directly to improved business.
Hasmik's title from the Prime Minister is well deserved, as she continues to work to improve not only her business, but also her community through social development projects and activities.
Click here to read more about the FLEX Program.