National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion

The Armenian Reporter | December 13, 2008 9Communityaiwa scholarships include the Lucy Kasparian Aharonian AwardsWATERTOWN, Mass. – Scholarshipsawarded by the ArmenianInternational Women’s Associationhave increased substantially thisyear, thanks to the Lucy KasparianAharonian program, administeredin association with the Society ofWomen Engineers (Boston Chapter).Under this program, beginningwith the current academic year(2008-2009), juniors and seniors inthe fields of science, mathematics,or engineering (including architecture)are eligible for awards of upto $6,000. Graduate students in thesame fields can be granted up to$10,000.The scholarship program was establishedin 2007 in memory of thelate Lucy Kasparian Aharonian bythe Aharonian family.Lucy Aharonian.Current recipientsRecipients of aiwa scholarshipshave strong interests in their Armenianheritage, multifacetedbackgrounds, and have attainedand continue to pursue high academicachievements.The two 2008-2009 winners ofthe Lucy Kasparian Aharoniangraduate student awards, whoreceived $5,000 each, are NarineBolghourjian, from Beirut, Lebanon,and Sevan Suni, of RedwoodCity, Calif.Ms. Bolghourjian, who receivedher undergraduate degree with highdistinction from the American Universityof Beirut, is one of the fewinternational students currentlypursuing a master of science degreeat the University of California,Berkeley, in a highly selective structuralengineering and mechanics ofmaterials program. She ultimatelyaspires to attain a Ph.D. and hopesto return to her native Lebanon asa civil engineer and continue to beactive in the Armenian communitythere.Ms. Suni is a fourth-year graduatestudent in the biology departmentat Stanford University, focusingon genetic diversity of speciessuch as the red harvester ant. Sheis on track to be awarded her Ph.D.by spring 2010. She is also activein promoting Armenian music, forexample by playing works by thecomposer Grikor Mirzaian Suni onher violin in concerts. Suni plans tobecome a professor of biology.The winners of the Kasparian undergraduateawards are TarmaraAlexander, Ani Sahagian, andJustine Karanian, who received$3,000, $2,000 and $1,000, respectively.Ms. Alexander, from RedwoodCity, Calif., is currently in a dualundergraduate/graduate program,and will graduate in 2010 with aB.S. in mathematics and a M.S. inmanagement science and engineeringfrom Stanford University. Sheis active in the Armenian StudentsAssociation, which also supportsthe nonprofit organization Act ForArmenia, raising money for underprivilegedschools in Armenia.Ms. Sahagian, who hails fromNew Milford, N.J., is pursuing hernursing degree from Ramapo Collegein New Jersey, now as a senior.She is a member of Phi ThetaKappa and on the dean’s list. Ms.Sahagian previously worked for 15Narine Bolghourjian.years at the Diocese of the ArmenianChurch of America in NewYork City.Ms. Karanian, from Avon, Conn.,is now a senior chemistry majorwith a minor in mathematics atMerrimack College in North Andover,Mass. She is planning to applyto dental school upon graduation.Ms. Karanian helped organize avitamin drive for an Armenian orphanageand then traveled to Armeniawith her family to personallydistribute the donations.Other recipientsaiwa scholarships for 2008-2009include several other named awards.The awards and current recipientsinclude the following:Dr. Carolann S. Najarian Scholarships(awards of $1,000 each):Tina Bastajian, Amsterdam, TheNetherlands, Ph.D. candidate, mediastudies, Amsterdam School ofAnalysis; Dzovinar Derderian,Washington, M.A. candidate, 2ndyear, Georgetown University, Russian& East European studies; ElenGalajyan, Yerevan, Armenia, enteringmaster of health administrationprogram, University of SouthernCalifornia; Tamar Salibian,Van Nuys, Calif., Ph.D. candidate,cultural/media studies, ClaremontSevan Suni.Graduate Institute (Calif.); SarahVaradian, Norwood, Mass., junior,majoring in American studies,Stonehill College, Easton, Mass.Agnes Missirian Awards: $1,000to Maral Balayan, Auburn, Mass.,graduate of Misr InternationalUniversity (Cairo), M.A. candidate,1st year, Boston University Schoolof Journalism.Rose “Azad” Hovannesian Scholarship($500): Tatev Yeghiazaryan,Hewitt, N.J., junior, majoring inmusic (jazz), William PattersonUniversity, N.J.Zarouhi Y. Getsoyan Scholarship($500): Nara Martirosyan, Ruston,La., Ph.D. candidate in education,Grambling State University,La.Lucy Kasparian Aharonian AIWAScholarship ($1,000): $500 each toEmma Danielyan, Yerevan StateUniversity, Armenia, M.S. candidatein radiophysics; and AniTshantshapanyan, Russian-ArmenianState University, Yerevan,Ph.D. candidate in physics (semiconductor).Long career in software engineeringBorn in Lynn, Mass., Lucy KasparianAharonian died of complicationsfrom pancreatic cancer onNovember 5, 2006.Starting a long history of furtheringher education, after attendingelementary and secondaryschools in Saugus, Mass., Mrs.Kasparian graduated cum laudefrom Salem State College andearned her master of arts degreein mathematics from Clark University,where she was a teachingfellow. In her mid-fifties, sheearned a master of business administrationdegree from BostonUniversity.Her career in software engineeringwas put on hold when shestarted raising a family and wasresumed when her children werein school. She worked for Raytheon,mitre Corporation, andgte, and was also an independentconsultant. She had been an activemember of the Society of WomenEngineers.Mrs. Aharonian taught on a parttimebasis and spoke with convictionabout the learning and educationprocess. She was proud thatshe had taught at the elementary,secondary, junior college, and collegelevels as well as continuing educationand crafts training. In lateryears, Mrs. Aharonian had a secondcareer as a basket artist and operatedher own studio at Art/Space inMaynard, Mass.Deadline April 6Applications for all aiwa scholarshipsfor the 2009-2010 academicyear will be available online or bymail on January 1, 2009. The scholarshipsare awarded to women ofArmenian descent, both undergraduate(junior and senior year)and graduate students, based onacademic achievement and financialneed. The deadline for these applicationsis April 6, 2009. Winnerswill be announced at the association’sannual meeting in May. connect:www.aiwa-net.org617-926-0171agbu Young Professionals of Yerevan help Gyumri orphansFar left: YPYerevansponsored a tripto the capitalcity for childrenat the Gyumriorphanage,including a visitto the NationalGallery. Left:In front of theNational Galleryof Armenia,YP Yerevanmembers andGyumri orphanswere all smilesas they spent aday together inArmenia’s capitalcity.NEW YORK – On November 2,2008, the agbu Young Professionalsof Yerevan (YP Yerevan) organizeda trip to Armenia’s capital for70 orphans at the Nansen Orphanagein Gyumri, Armenia. YP Yerevanmembers hoped to give thesechildren a taste of Armenia’s capitalcity. The trip would later serveas inspiration for an art projectfundraiser.The children enjoyed walkingaround Yerevan, visiting outdoorspaces, the newly renovated Lovers’Park, restaurants, and spendingthe afternoon in the NationalGallery of Armenia. In the evening,the YPs treated the children to acircus performance, which madea strong impression on the youngvisitors.After an exciting day in Yerevan,the orphans returned to Gyumriinspired by their journey. YP Yerevanasked the children to create artbased on their impressions of thecapital with the goal of selling thework during a fundraising event forthe orphanage.Established in 2000, the NansenOrphanage of Gyumri was createdto help parentless children whocontinued to feel the impacts of the1988 Spitak. In 2002, the orphanagecame under the administration ofthe Republic of Armenia’s Ministryof Social Welfare. Today, the NansenOrphanage provides art, sports,dance, vocal, and foreign languageinstruction to dozens of children.Helping the orphansOn November 16, YP Yerevanhosted a fundraising event for theorphanage at the Yerevan PuppetTheater. The theater’s auditoriumwas filled with special guests, includingfamous singers and artists,bankers, businesspeople, and localcelebrities, all of whom touredthe display of art that was inspiredby the children’s day in Yerevan.The children also returned to thecapital and gave several song-anddanceperformances, which createda festive atmosphere for the theaterguests. A video of the event isavailable on agbu’s YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/agbuvideo.The exhibition sale raised over1,239,000 amd (more than $4,000),greatly exceeding the organizers’expectations. Proceeds from theart sale will be used to build a computercenter at the orphanage. SeveralYP Yerevan members have ITtraining and plan on teaching thechildren how to use the equipment.YP Yerevan plans to use any additionalfunds from the event to hireEnglish-language teachers to assistthe children to improve their languageskills.The agbu Young Professionalsare committed to preserving andpromoting the Armenian identityand heritage through educational,cultural, and humanitarian programs.For more information onthe agbu Young Professionals,please contact the agbu yp Liaisonat ypliaison@agbu.org or (212)319-6383.For more information on agbuand its worldwide programs, pleasevisit www.agbu.org.