Elena “Lena” Tchilingarian ’05 says that none of her Earlham friends would be surprised to know she plans events for a living.

But what events, where and for whom? Maybe there are some surprises after all.

Tchilingarian is Charity Programs Manager for Ronald McDonald House Charities in Moscow, Russia. It might seem incongruous to imagine someone raising money in Russia for a cause associated with an American fast food giant, but spend a few minutes with Tchilingarian, and it begins to make a lot of sense.

“We are the only charity in Russia that is focused on helping the whole group of sick and handicapped children,” she says. “I feel that I have a responsibility to help these children and to encourage others to do the same.”

Ronald McDonald House Charities is well known in the United States for its facilities at hospitals, which allow the families of very sick children to have a “home away from home” during extended hospital stays. It has emerged as a respected charity in Russia, too, where they also have the Ronald McDonald Center, which brings together hundreds of healthy and sick children each week for shared learning and play.

With the break-up of the Soviet Union only two decades removed, the very idea of charitable giving is still a new concept in Russian. Fortunately, there are bright, articulate and passionate advocates like Tchilingarian to make the case.

“During the Soviet Union, people were used to expecting the government to take care of everything,” she says. “But I tell them, you have to do something. Those of us who are fortunate to be healthy have to do what we can to help those who are not.”

Tchilingarian, who remembers waiting in line for three hours for a hamburger when the first McDonald’s opened in Moscow, notes that there have been McDonald’s restaurants in Russia for twenty years. That history helps her make the case for the charity she represents.

She takes the lead on putting together fundraising events, including a highly successful charity golf tournament and McHappy Day, held each year in November at McDonald’s restaurants during which pop stars, politicians and other celebrities appear at events to raise awareness of Ronald McDonald House Charities in Russia.

“This job is really a perfect fit for me,” says Tchilingarian, a striking young woman with long curly hair and a quick smile.  A Business and Non-Profit Management major at Earlham, she spent countless volunteer hours as a student organizing International Fest, New Student Orientation and other large campus events. She notes that while she never imagined she would find a job in non-profit management back home in Russia, it turns out that many of her Earlham classes have proven indispensible.

“I often find myself using skills I learned in a class on negotiation that I took with (former faculty member) Dave Leeper or a non-profit management class that I took with [Professor of Business an Non-Profit Management] Monteze Synder,” she notes. “I also remember that when I was a student, I was doubtful that I would ever use certain information about non-profits because the examples were all from America, and I would think to myself, ‘nobody is going to give money to a non-profit in Russia.’ But now that I am a professional working in the field, I realize that all those things we studied really do work in the real world. I am in a very good position because very few people in Russia have the training that I do.”

Tchilingarian was back on campus in February visiting her aunt Stella Abagyan (who works in the Admissions Office) and her grandmother, both of whom are long-time Richmond residents. She recalled that she had been making summertime visits to Richmond since she was 11 years old, and loved swimming in the big public pool and making friends at First Christian Church, where relatives are members. But she hadn’t even thought about attending Earlham until her aunt introduced her to Musa Khalidi, senior associate dean of admissions and director of international admissions.

“At the time, I was assuming I would go to university in Moscow. I said to Musa, ‘you think I would trade Moscow for Richmond? And he said, ‘I think you should check it out.’”

She visited the campus, attended sample classes during preview days, and pretty soon, she was sold.

“I was crying when I got accepted. So happy.”

Though she loves her busy life in Moscow, she professes no regrets about spending her college years at Earlham.

“I think Earlham is a good substitute for a big city. There are so many activities and events on campus, there’s no time to get bored. If Earlham were in a big city, it wouldn’t be Earlham anymore. People would be all spread out doing things, and then students wouldn’t be as close.”

Leaning forward a little, as if telling a secret, she adds:

“People ask me if I would send my kids to Earlham,” she says. “If they wanted to come, I absolutely would!”