Armenian National Committee of America
Western Region
104 N. Belmont, Suite 208, Glendale, CA 91206 * Tel. (818) 500-1918
Fax. (818) 246-7353 * [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE ~ 2007-12-04
Contact: Haig Hovsepian ~ Tel: (818) 500-1918
Clark Magnet High School Engages Community Through
ANC-WR Internship
Los Angeles, CA – As part of the 2007 Autumn Session of the Armenian
National Committee-Western Region Internship-Externship Program
(ANC-WR IEP), Rafi Orphali has learned a lot about civic engagement
while working as a Public and Media Relations intern. While his
primary responsibility as an intern was to assist in media coverage
for organizational activities, he has also been a worked with fellow
interns at this past September’s "Songs for Darfur" benefit concert,
to assisting staff with media monitoring while the Armenian Genocide
resolution was making its way through the US House Committee on
Foreign Affairs.
At 16, Orphali is one of the youngest individuals to intern at the
ANC-WR office, but this was not his first time working with the
organization. During the summer of 2006 he volunteered at the office,
an experience he credits with motivating him to apply for the program
this year and helping prepare himself for the rigors and challenges of
government-oriented work.
"When I volunteered last summer, I was fascinated with what the ANC
does for the Armenian American community," said Orphali. "Not only did
I get to see what the organization did, but how students like me could
help be a part of that," he added.
Orphali will also be incorporating his internship experience into his
high school senior project. Dealing with the issue of civic
engagement, Orphali will feature his fieldwork as an intern with the
ANC-WR.
"Though the session is coming to an end soon, I look forward to
staying involved. This program has given me the hands-on experience
and tools needed so I can jump right in and contribute to the
community through my local ANC," noted Orphali.
Established in June 2006, the ANC-WR IEP is a selective and intensive
program that provides student leaders and activists with an
opportunity to participate in an intensive internship designed to
provide an in-depth introduction to Armenian American issues as well
as advocacy efforts on the federal, state and local level. The program
hosts spring, summer and autumn sessions. You can find more
information about the IEP by visiting
iew.php.
The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and
most nfluential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in
the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States
and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANC-WR advances
the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.
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