ANC-Glendale Selects Summer 2008 Interns

Glendale, CA - The Armenian National Committee- Glendale Chapter announced this week the ANCG Summer Internship Program participants Nare Kupelian, Talar Malakian, Greg Mirza-Avakyan, and Tatev Oganyan.

Nare Kupelian, a senior at Glendale High School, has contributed greatly to her school and community through various organizations. She has been involved in the Associated Student Body at Glendale High school, serving as Vice-President last year and Director of Finance this year.  She has also served as the President of the Student Senate and the Historian for the Parent Teacher Student Association. Having worked on several local, state, and national election campaigns, Kupelian has shown much interest in the political field. Last summer, Kupelian participated in a lauded Congressional Seminar in Washinton D.C. Next year, she will attend the Eleanor Roosevelt College at the University of California, San Diego. to study Political Science/ International Relations with an emphasis in Pre-Law. During the internship, Kupelian’s work will have an emphasis on community affairs.

Talar Malakian, currently a sophomore at Crescenta Valley High School, has been involved in various community projects and school events. She is involved in the Armenian Club, Crescenta Valley Lady Falcon Basketball, and The Falcon Award Scholarship Committee. Malakian is currently the captain of her Homenetmen Shant A division girls’ basketball team. Using the skills acquired from many years of basketball, she stands in as assistant coach to young students at the Armenian Sisters’ Academy. Talar Malakian, who will be focusing on public relations during the internship, hopes to use the valuable skills attained from the internship program as a way to give back to the Armenian-American community in Glendale, CA.

Greg Mirza-Avakyan is a recent graduate of University of California, Santa Barbara where has earned a BA in Political Science.  On campus, Mirza-Avakyan has been active in planning the cultural and educational events for the Armenian community. With an emphasis on government affairs, Mirza-Avakyan hopes to expand the reach of the Armenian National Committee in Glendale. As an active member of the Armenian Student Association , Mirza-Avakyan has learned to appreciate the cultural and valuable influence of the Armenian community. He believes that he will benefit greatly from the program because it is specifically tailored to the issues facing the Armenian community in Glendale.

Tatev Oganyan, who will be working on Administration and Development through the internship program, graduated from Burbank High School in 2007 and is currently attending the University of California- Los Angeles. Throughout high school, Oganyan has pursued many endeavors pertaining to the Armenian students within her community and her high school such as her position as Founder, Co-President, and student representative for Armenian Club at Burbank High School. Furthermore, she has been the recipient of numerous awards such as the Certificate of Congressional Recognition for outstanding service to the community and the President’s Education Award for Academic Excellence. Oganyan is currently a member of the National Academic Honor Society at UCLA and UCLA’s Armenian Student Association. When asked about her involvement in the Summer Internship Program, Oganyan expressed, “I’m very excited about extending my involvement in the Armenian Community through the ANC and I can not wait to meet new people who can teach me leadership and communication skills.

“It's great to see such driven young individuals in the community who devote their time to make a difference. We look forward to providing them with the necessary framework to be lifelong civil servants,” noted Executive Director of ANCG, Elen Asatryan.
 
The Armenian National Committee-Glendale Chapter advocates for the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the city's Armenian American community and promotes increased civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels. It is the voice of this vibrant community, which seeks to advance and enrich Glendale.

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