TUMO Gyumri communications and events specialist Susanna Ghazoyan spoke with people from across the TUMOverse to find out what they remember about August 14, 2011 — the day TUMO officially opened its doors.

I can barely remember what I was doing 15 years ago today, on August 14, 2011. I was probably shopping for school supplies before starting eighth grade, trying to decide whether to get a Winx notebook or a soccer-themed one.

What I definitely did not know was that, on that very day, a new center was opening on Halabyan Street in Yerevan. One day, future employees of Google, Disney, PicsArt, Krisp, and other globally recognized companies would learn there. And one day, I would work there as a communications specialist.

Fifteen years later, you can find TUMO not only on Halabyan Street, but on streets in dozens of cities across Armenia and around the world: Myasnikyan Street in Dilijan, Rue du Cinéma in Paris, Wilmersdorfer Straße in Berlin, Algarrobo Street in Buenos Aires, G Messe Gunma in Takasaki, Jain Mandir Marg in Mumbai, and Mangilik El Avenue in Astana.

Over the years, TUMO has launched countless initiatives, received numerous awards, empowered hundreds of thousands of teens, and even made an appearance in one of Lionel Messi’s Instagram stories.

And because I still regret missing TUMO’s opening day, I decided to ask the people who were there what they remember. Through their memories, I got to experience, at least a little, the launch of this one-of-a-kind education model in Armenia and beyond.

Creative writing workshop leader and author Violet Grigoryan has been with us since TUMO’s very first day. This is how she remembers it:

“I remember running around, noise, endless things to do, kids everywhere, colors, and a huge celebration. There’s a saying that at a wedding, you either have to be the bride or a distant relative if you want to avoid doing any work. Well, I was neither. So we rolled up our sleeves and got to work to make sure our wedding — TUMO’s opening — was perfect.”

For Meline Gharibyan, an alum from the O phase, former coach, and now a biophysicist and lecturer, the opening left a different impression:

“I was probably eight years old when TUMO opened. I remember arriving early because we wanted to get a good spot near Gor Sujyan’s band, but before long there were so many people that I was amazed. And the concert was incredible. Then I had to wait four more years before I was old enough to attend TUMO. My first day at TUMO was even more memorable than the opening itself because I had never been in a place like that before.”

Our alum and now illustrator in the content team, Khoren Matevosyan, remembers the day this way:

“I remember volunteering and handing out wristbands while helping make sure everything was running smoothly. I remember lots of lights reflecting off fluorescent surfaces. I also remember that we were wearing yellow shirts. Then I signed up for TUMO right away and started attending.”

Of course, no recollection of TUMO’s opening would be complete without TUMO Board member Serj Tankian, one of the evening’s headline performers:

“When it opened, TUMO represented hope in a way nothing else in Armenia did. 15 years later we have seen it come to fruition. I’m honored to have been there in the beginning helping establish the music program, playing at its opening and here to see its culmination.”

And of course, a reflection from the top. TUMO Director of Development Pegor Papazian remembers August 14, 2011, this way:

“When people are asked where they were when TUMO opened, they remember a place. I remember a possibility. We were not simply opening a building; we were setting an idea in motion — giving Armenia’s teens the tools and the freedom to shape their own future. I do not remember that day as an opening ceremony, but as a question: what happens when young people are trusted with creativity, technology, and responsibility? Looking back, I realize that question has been answered through hundreds of thousands of teens.”

In a way, TUMO now shares its birthday with some of its own students. One of them is Arman Muradyan, who was born on August 15, 2011.

Arman does not remember TUMO’s opening particularly well — he was only one day old. But he does remember the experiences, the friendships, the projects, and the knowledge he has gained at TUMO. Maybe those experiences will help him reach the same extraordinary professional heights as many of our alumni.

Happy birthday, TUMO! 🎉