ARS career opportunities for youth program held at NYU

Published: Wednesday March 10, 2010

New York - On Saturday February 6, 2010, New York University's Kimmel Center, in Greenwich Village, was the venue for the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) Eastern USA's Youth Connect Program (YCP).

The ARS began its initial educational program in 1971 at Boston University and has, through the years, developed and changed it to meet the needs of college students. This year, sixty two applicants were accepted from as far away as Wisconsin. The latest version of the YCP was a one day educational seminar concluding with an Opportunity Fair, with representatives from several different Armenian organizations who spoke about internships available to students.

Ungh Suzanne Azarian, the ARS EUSA Vice Chairwoman, gave her opening remarks and presented the goals of the ARS Youth Connect Program, stating "Our Youth are our future leaders. Bringing young Armenians together in a one day long program will give the opportunity for all to interact and benefit from each other."

On behalf of the ARS Eastern USA, Inc. Board of Directors and the Youth Connect Program, Ungh Silva Kouyoumdjian, ARS EUSA Chairwoman, welcomed the youth to the day-long program. She extended her deepest gratitude and respect to those who established this great organization and to those who nurtured it throughout its 100 years, stating:

"We stand on the verge of beginning our second century. We can be proud of our achievements while acknowledging our challenges. The ARS has and will always serve the humanitarian needs of the Armenian people, through an army of volunteers, who not only provide financial support, but also their time and energy. We successfully promote the advancement of the Armenian people. The Board of Regional Directors would like to extend its deepest appreciation to all of our benefactors and supporters. We are deeply grateful for their financial and moral support."

The program director was Professor Asbed Kotchikian, lecturer in the Global Studies Department at Bentley University in Waltham, MA. Students were captivated by his wealth of knowledge on Armenian history and the interesting way in which he relayed the most significant highlights. He left students thinking about the questions we face for the future, hoping to push them beyond conventional thinking into a modern and more progressive view.

Also sharing their experiences were Ayda Erbal of NYU and Taleen Babayan of the Zohrab Center of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church.  In a round-table discussion, both speakers conveyed their educational paths. Ms. Erbal also talked about her eventual pursuit of history, which has an impact on the Armenian Community. She encouraged students to pursue education in the humanities and especially history, where a perspective from the Armenian experience is essential to actively shape world history.

Dr. Sebouh Aslanian, a Mellon post-doctoral fellow at Cornell University, further intrigued the students with documents he uncovered during his research in Iran, UK and Mexico, from the confiscated material of a ship, which had Armenian owners, and which traded throughout Asia and Europe. Tracing Armenians from Persian Julfa, he showed students how merchants migrated to buy and trade their goods, making them wealthy and an elite group unto themselves.

An Opportunity Fair, at the end of the lectures, provided students with information from organizations such as Birthright Armenia, Armenian Volunteer Corp, ANCA, Armenian Assembly, AYF, AGBU and the Zohrab Center. Each organization's representatives were then available for students to approach, on an individual basis, to gather more information about their internships and opportunities.

Ung. Phil Nigon, a program participant and a representative of AYF and ANCA at the opportunity fair, thanked the ARS Eastern Region for this great opportunity saying "I'd like to thank the ARS, the presenters, and Mr. Lloyd Berman for their work and contributions to this excellent program.  So often when a program hits a lull like the Summer Studies Program did in recent years, it is tempting to call it a day and give up.  It takes real dedication to try to retool and adapt, and I am glad to see their diligence rewarded today.  You can tell by how little personal space you all have in this room how much your attendance exceeded expectations."

Students were then allowed the chance to get to know each other better, later that evening at the Sayat Nova Restaurant, in Hackensack, NJ where they were treated to dinner and dancing. Thus, an educational and social event was concluded and, hopefully, served as an inspiration for our future leaders.

This event was underwritten by the generosity of Mr. Lloyd Berman, in memory of his mother Alice Haigazian Berman, and by the Norian Fund. The ARS is grateful for their financial support. An investment in our youth is truly an investment in our future.

The Board is thankful to all the individuals who worked so hard on the YCP committee and helped us achieve our goal.:

Ungh Silva Takvorian-Kouyoumdjian, ARS EUSA Board Chairwoman 
Ungh Suzanne Azarian, ARS EUSA Board Vice Chairwoman
Unghi Vartouhi Chiloyan, ARS EUSA Executive Secretary
Unghi Talin Chalian, ARS EUSA Bergen County Chapter
Miss. Elizabeth Akian, Friend of ARS
Dr. Asbed Kotchikian, Director of ARS YCP