Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
September 2, 2008
Contact: Ani Garabedian
ANC-WR Interns and Externs Graduate from Summer Session
Los Angeles, CA – Last week marked the conclusion of the Summer 2008
Armenian National Committee – Western Region Internship Externship
Program (ANC-WR IEP). 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 a program designed to
provide an in-depth introduction to Armenian American issues as well
as advocacy efforts on the federal, state and local level.
This session proved to be an exciting one for the interns and externs
as each individual was assigned personal projects in accordance to
their area of interest.
During the last week of their internship, each participant presented a
final presentation to ANC-WR board members and graduates from previous
ANC-WR IEP program sessions. Presentations covered their personal
backgrounds, ANC-WR involvement, program achievements and future
goals.
This session’s participants were Hovanes Gasparian (UC Berkeley
-Community and Government Affairs), Amy Kaladzhyan (UC Santa Barbara –
Public and Media Relations), Shant Karnikian (UC Santa Barbara Alum
-Community and Government Affairs), Mikael Kourinian (CSU Northridge
Alum – Community and Government Affairs), Araz Parseghian (Woodbury
Alum – ANC-PN extern), Armine Sargsyan (UCLA – Glendale-Ghapan Sister
City Association extern), and Tamar Tavlian (Pasadena City College –
Public and Media Relations).
A few of the projects worked on by ANC-WR IEP participants included
creating a high school presentation about Armenian American issues
aimed at educating non-Armenians, tackling media relations projects,
working on issues pertaining to Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as working
with sister organizations such as ANC-Professional Network and the
Glendale-Ghapan Sister City Association. As a group, the interns and
externs also tackled a larger endeavor, the creation of an ANC-IEP
promotional video and video blogging on hot topics such as the recent
ambassadorial hearings.
In addition to working on individual projects, the interns and externs
also participated in weekly workshops designed to hone professional
skills which educated them about various organizations that work with
the Armenian American community all while assisting the IEP
participants to network in a comfortable environment.
ANC-WR is looking forward to a new class of interns beginning this fall.
The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and
most influential 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.