lilit aleksandra shashikyan

founding president

Lilit Shashikyan founded Any Kid Can Be Anything because she knows what it feels like to have ambition without always knowing where to find guidance. Born in Greece and raised between Greece and Armenia before immigrating to the US at age five, Lilit grew up helping her family navigate unfamiliar systems, often standing between her parents and the people they needed to understand, trying to find the right words to help them be heard. These experiences gave her an early understanding of the challenges families can face while pursuing a better future through education. As she became more involved in education and leadership, Lilit met many hardworking students with big goals but little access to information about college, careers, scholarships, and other opportunities. Her own journey revealed a truth that would shape her work: students are rarely held back by a lack of capability, but too often by a lack of opportunity. Sometimes, they simply need someone to show them what is possible and help them understand how to get there. Now a Political Science student at UCLA on the pre-law track, Lilit created Any Kid Can Be Anything to become the support system she wished more students had. Through workshops, mentorship, resources, and community projects, she hopes to help every young person feel seen, prepared, and confident in their future. Her belief is simple: a child’s circumstances should never determine how far they are allowed to dream, because no matter where they begin, Any Kid Can Be Anything.