Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email.anca@anca.org
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
May 6, 2010
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ANCA CAPITAL GATEWAY PROGRAM EXPANDS MENTORSHIP AND CAREER GUIDANCE
RESOURCES

— CGP Advisory Committee Leads Job Search Seminars; Professional
Networking Opportunities for Innovative Program

WASHINGTON, DC – Increasing individual mentorship opportunities and
providing a broader range of job search resources have been top
priorities for the recently established Armenian National Committee
of America (ANCA) Capital Gateway Program Advisory Committee,
working with program fellows to advance their career goals in
Washington, DC’s government and public policy sector.

Capital Gateway Program (ANCA CGP) Alumni Mike Gedjeyan, Dan
Stepanian-Bennett, Yelena Allakhverdov and Arbi Vartan worked with
Program Director Raffi Karakashian in developing the highly
personalized mentorship program for CGP fellows, pairing up the
individuals with young professionals active in their public policy
fields of interest. The CGP Advisory Committee has already
implemented a targeted lecture series on enhancing job search
skills for program participants, with special focus on improving
cover letter and resume writing skills, interview techniques,
maximizing networking opportunities and a specialized self-
awareness workshop to help identify career interests.

Now in its seventh consecutive year, the Gateway Program helps
applicants attain exciting internships and challenging full-time
public policy jobs in the nation’s capital. Qualified applicants,
once accepted, are provided three months of free housing in
downtown Washington, DC, job search training and assistance, the
full use of ANCA facilities, and extensive staff support. To date,
over seventy fellows have gone through the program and secured
positions in dozens of Congressional offices, as well as esteemed
media and political institutions such as Congressional Quarterly,
the US Chamber of Commerce, Export-Import Bank (EXIM), SRCP Media
and the World Bank.

"We are thrilled to have the expert assistance of our Capital
Gateway Program alumni – Mike, Dan, Yelena and Arbi – in
spearheading this Advisory Committee and the generous support of
all our local Armenian American professionals in assisting our
program fellows to explore public policy careers here in
Washington," said Program Director Raffi Karakashian. "Their
insights and commitment to sharing their personal experiences and
advice with our program participants are a key component to the
expansion and success of this program."

The ANCA Capital Gateway Program currently includes the
participation of six recent university graduates from across the
U.S. including fellows Avak Kahramanian and Nareg Sagherian from
Michigan; Alex Der Alexanian and Vana Kouyoumji from California;
Aren Ghazarian, from Massachusetts and Chelsea Bissell from
Montana. Each has worked with Karakashian to secure internships on
Capitol Hill or at local public policy venues as they pursue their
job search goals.

"As a program alumnus, it has been great working with the CGP
fellows and expanding key components of this ground-breaking effort
to help young Armenian Americans get started in their public policy
careers," said Advisory Committee leader Gedjeyan. "Starting out
fresh out of college, in a new city and a tough economy is never
easy. That’s why the active assistance of Armenian American
professionals is so essential to provide the first-hand insights
and open the critical doors necessary for launching new careers."
Vartan concurred, noting that "One of the most difficult parts of
starting a career in Washington, DC is getting one’s foot in the
door. Not only does the Capital Gateway Program do this, but it
also provides strategic tools and individually-tailored guidance
that each fellow can then leverage to find their ideal career. If
you are a young professional considering a job in Washington, DC,
this Program was made for you."

Established through a generous donation from the Cafesjian Family
Foundation, the Capital Gateway Program, over the years, has
benefited tremendously from the generosity of donors committed to
creating public service opportunities for young Armenian Americans.
The leading financial contributor to the Program has been the
family of Hovig Apo Saghdejian, a 23-year old youth leader and
community activist from Fresno, California, who lost his life in
2004 in a tragic car accident. His family established the Hovig Apo
Saghdejian Memorial Fund in his memory. Substantial support has
also been provided by longtime ANCA benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Frank
and Barbara Hekimian and the Armenian American Veterans Post of
Milford, Massachusetts (AAVO).

Applications for the Capital Gateway Program are reviewed on a
rolling basis. Opportunities are currently available for Fall,
2010. For more information about the Capital Gateway Program or to
apply, contact Program Director Raffi Karakashian at (202) 775-1918
or raffi@anca.org.

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