US Fed News
April 4, 2009 Saturday 3:30 PM EST

SONYA MKRYAN NAMED ‘WOMAN OF THE YEAR’ IN 29TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

WASHINGTON, March 24 — Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. (29th CD), issued
the following news release:

On Saturday at a reception in Pasadena, Representative Adam Schiff
honored Dr. Sonya Mkryan for her commitment and service to Altadena by
naming her a "Woman of the Year." "Sonya’s life story is a testament
to the tenacity and generosity of the human spirit, and her steadfast
dedication and selfless service are an invaluable addition to the
legacy of Women’s History Month," said Schiff. Sonya was born in
Sanjak, the French mandate of Syria, and emigrated at age ten to
Soviet Armenia with her parents and three siblings. By the time she
traveled from Armenia to the United States with her husband and three
children in 1979, she had obtained a PhD in Technical Studies and
worked for two decades as a scientist and researcher at the Armenian
Academy of Sciences. Her first job in America was as a mechanical
inspector for Robertshaw Industrial Products. As an educator and
geophysicist, Sonya has taught in the Pasadena Unified School District
was a professor of physics at Polytechnic Institute. For the past
twenty-three years she has contributed her knowledge and experience to
the County of Los Angeles’ Department of Public Social Services in
hopes of serving society for the better. A woman of multiple talents,
Sonya is also an artist and a writer. Over the last twenty years she
has held several solo shows and has actively participated in many
group exhibitions. Aside from scientific articles published in the
Russian, she has published six books of poetry and short stories: five
in Armenian and the sixth in English. She is a member of the Armenian
Writers Union of California and is an honorable member of the
International Society of Poets. Every March, during Women’s History
Month, Rep. Schiff honors one outstanding woman from each of the
communities in the 29th Congressional District. These women come from
all walks of life and represent the thousands of women who make a
positive impact in our region. While there are no specific criteria
for nomination, Rep. Schiff looks for women who – through their work
or volunteerism – have improved the quality of life for our
community. Rep. Schiff represents California’s 29th Congressional
District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena,
Burbank, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South
Pasadena and Temple City.