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PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, August 24, 2004

AGBU APPLAUDS 2004 MANOOGIAN-DEMIRDJIAN GRADUATING CLASS

Graduates Achieve Early Admittance to Harvard, Yale, Columbia,
University of Pennsylvania, MIT, and Duke among others.

New York, NY – Addressing AGBU’s 2004 Manoogian-Demirdjian graduating
class, Principal Hagop Hagopian emphasized the importance of civic
responsibility, preserving and strengthening our Armenian identity and
spirit, and having the courage to meet present and future challenges.

The official commencement ceremony, which took place on June 19th,
marked, as noted by Valedictorian Armen Yerevanian, “two separate
events, one: a commemoration of the past; and two: a dedication to the
future and the hope that it brings.” Salutatorian Christina Tokatlian
also addressed the 46 seniors, expressing great pride in her Armenian
heritage, noting that “it is not being born Armenian, but living as
such, which makes us Armenian.”

Chairman of the Manoogian-Demirdjian School Board and AGBU Central
Board Member Sinan Sinanian provided the graduates with words of
wisdom and sound advice before introducing keynote speaker, the
Narekatsi Professor of Armenian Studies at UCLA, Dr. Peter
Cowe. Dr. Cowe stressed the importance of and need to preserve our
Armenian culture and homeland.

Taking the podium next, AGBU President Berge Setrakian, took the
opportunity to congratulate the 2004 graduating class and the school
itself for its strong record of achievement as exemplified by the
early acceptances to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, University of
Pennsylvania, MIT, Duke and Johns Hopkins University. “Throughout our
98-year history, our organization has devoted much energy, thought,
and resources to establishing educational programs that meet the needs
of Armenians wherever they may be throughout the world,” remarked
Setrakian.

President Setrakian continued to focus on the importance of education
and the needs of the future generation stating, “as AGBU approaches
its Centennial, we are taking great care to address our mission in
education in the context of immense complexities and diverse needs of
Armenians today…It is critical that we continue to support what is
working so well, improve if we can what is not, but most important,
create new initiatives that take into account the changing needs of
Armenian youth everywhere.”

“As we progress through the 21st Century and attempt to address an
even more fluid and rapidly changing social, political, and
technological climate, it is important for AGBU to reassess the
effective use of its resources, in terms of both human and financial
investments. And let me assure you, we are doing just that,” Setrakian
continued. In concluding his remarks, Setrakian made a special appeal
to the graduates: “AGBU needs your energy, intelligence, and
dedication now and throughout your lives to ensure that hand in hand
we will preserve and promote our Armenian identity and heritage. Good
luck and God speed.”

Founded in 1976, AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian is one of the largest
Armenian schools in the Diaspora and continues to serve Southern
California’s growing Armenian community. For more information on AGBU
and its schools, visit