Armenian National Committee Glendale Chapter
Contact: Elen Asatryan
Tel: (818) 243-3444
Email: info@ancglendale.org
PRESS RELEASE
June 25, 2009
Expanded Internship Program Prepares the Next Generation of Youth
GLENDALE, CA – The Armenian National Committee – Glendale Chapter announced
this week the expansion of its internship program and welcomed 8
participants, Talar Alexanian, Caroon Al-Rayes, Marie Danielian, Katya
Kazarian, Poulineh Manasi, Souren Abraham Odabachian, Arax Sarkisyan, and
Anasheh Tahmasian to the 2009 summer session of the program.
"This internship program is an essential program for today’s youth, because
it teaches them to be proactive citizens. They will be receiving firsthand
experience as to how a grassroots organization functions while learning the
inner workings of a city government," stated ANC-Glendale Internship
Coordinator, Nadia Simon. "With the expansion of the program, we hope to
give the next generation of civil servants an opportunity to truly make a
difference in their community," added Simon.
Due to a high volume of applicants, ANC Glendale expanded its internship
program to allow a larger pool of candidates to gain experience in
policy-making and the processes that impact the Glendale community. With the
expansion of the program, interns will also benefit from externship
opportunities, which include shadowing City Council Members, GUSD board
members and various city staff, commissions, and community based
organizations.
Poulineh Manasi and Anasheh Tahmasian, currently students at GCC, have been
active in their local community by being a part of their local college
Armenian Club and volunteering on various campaigns. Tahmasian has
volunteered at the Glendale Memorial Hospital and hopes to pursue a degree
in cognitive science, while Manasi was a member of the planning committee
for the Annual GUSD Genocide Commemorative Ceremony during her tenure at
Hoover High School. She hopes to major in business after transferring to USC
in the near future
As a senior at Crescenta Valley High school, Talar Alexanian has taken
leadership roles in numerous clubs including Key Club, CVTV Broadcasting
Club, as well as a news anchor of the Crescenta Valley Media Team, CVTV.
With over 500 community service hours to date, Alexanian continues to serve
her community as a member of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Glendale
Zavarian Chapter, a Sunday school teacher of the CV Apostolic Church, as
well as the vice president of the Crescenta Valley High School Armenian
Club.
"Working with ANCG, I hope to interact and strengthen ties with fellow peers
and community leaders and take a proactive role in advocating on issues of
concern to my community," Talar Alexanian stated.
Katya Kazarian and Arax Sarkissian, both upcoming seniors at their
respective high schools, Sahag Mesrob Armenian School and Clark Magnet High
School, remain active in their communities through involvement in their
local AYF chapters and Armenian Student Associations.
Marie Danielian, a recent graduate of Providence High School, has taken part
in several volunteer activities, including the ANCG-Political Action
Committee during the 2009 Glendale municipal elections, Paul Krikorian’s
State Assembly race, as well as volunteering at the Verdugo Hills Hospital.
After her involvement in Mock Trial and Model U.N clubs, she now hopes to
pursue a degree in business and political science.
A graduate of Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School, Souren Abraham
Odabachian currently serves as a member of St. Mary Armenian Apostolic
Church’s Armenian Christian Youth Association (ACYA). Come fall, Odabachian
will attend Cal State University of Northridge, to study business law, in
order to pursue his lifelong goal of becoming a corporate attorney.
As a senior in Glendale High school, Caroon Al-Rayes serves as commissioner
of Glendale High School Associated Student Body and is involved in the
Darfur Action Committee, G.A.T.E club, and the Armenian Youth Association of
California.
"I wanted to take part in the internship program in order to learn about the
issues facing our community and put my passion for change into action,"
stated Caroon Al-Rayes. "I look forward to the next ten weeks of the
internship program and hope to serve my community with the knowledge I
obtain at ANCG," added Al-Rayes.
Established in Fall 2007, the ANC-Glendale Internship program is a selective
part time, leadership training program which introduces young public
servants to all aspects of the public affairs arena. ANCG-IP provides an
opportunity for student leaders to gain an in-depth understanding of
community issues as well as advocacy efforts on the local level. The program
hosts spring, summer, and autumn sessions.
ANC-Glendale promotes increased Armenian American civic participation and
engagement at the grassroots and public policy levels.
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Photo Caption: ANCG 2009 Summer Interns from left Katya Kazarian, Souren
Abraham Odabachian, Talar Alexanian, Marie Danielian, Caroon Al-Rayes,
Anasheh Tahmasian, Poulineh Manasi and Arax Sarkisyan.