Dr. Souzy Ohanian, a lifelong educator with more than 30 years of experience in administrative leadership and elementary and middle school instruction, has been appointed to the position of Principal of C. & E. Merdinian Armenian Evangelical School.
“At this pivotal moment in preschool, elementary, and middle school education, the Merdinian Board of Directors is thrilled to announce that Dr. Souzy Ohanian has agreed to serve as the next principal of Merdinian,” said Tzoler Oukayan, Chair of the Merdinian Board of Directors. “Throughout her decades-long career in educational leadership, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to students’ high academic achievement and personal growth and has prioritized faculty and staff development with remarkable success. We are eager to welcome Dr. Ohanian to the Merdinian community and work together to implement her guiding vision as we write the next chapter of the Merdinian story.”
In her most recent role as Assistant Principal of Elementary at Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian School, Dr. Ohanian was instrumental in directing school operations, including program planning and implementation, staff hiring and evaluation, strategic planning, and community outreach. In the last 10 years, she contributed to the school’s enrollment growth and provided instructional leadership to staff in the areas of curriculum design, review, and implementation.
Dedicated to the mentorship and development of faculty members, Dr. Ohanian supported and coached teachers to ensure that teaching and learning frameworks were maintained in classrooms. She also developed and presented professional development workshops for staff members and was involved in observing teaching methods and techniques to determine areas for improvement.
In her previous roles at Pilibos as Dean of Curriculum and Instruction and Elementary Academic Director, Dr. Ohanian administered lesson plans and pacing plans for each classroom, designed new programs to implement educational strategies, and conducted both formal and informal school-wide assessments.
Prior to Pilibos, Dr. Ohanian served in the classroom as a first-grade lead teacher and sixth and seventh-grade social studies teacher at Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School, where she planned and scheduled curricula for multiple grade levels. Dr. Ohanian earned a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies from California State University, Northridge. After serving in the classroom for more than a decade in first-grade instruction, she furthered her academic pursuits and earned her first Master of Fine Arts in K–12 education/teacher education and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. She later earned her second Master of Fine Arts in K–12 educational leadership and politics followed by a Doctor of Education in K–12 curriculum and instruction.
Dr. Ohanian and her husband, Raffi, have two children, Aram and Shant.