On March 6, 2023, I was accepted into the College of the Holy Cross Washington, D.C. Semester Program. The program entailed participating in a public policy seminar, writing a thesis and interning at an agency of my choice in Washington during the fall 2023 semester. I knew from the moment I was admitted that I wanted to spend my time in Washington working to advance Hai Tahd at the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in a very large and prominent Armenian community, attending Armenian day school and staying very connected to my culture and heritage while living within the diaspora. One of the first questions people ask me when they find out I attend Holy Cross is why I chose to go to school in Worcester, Massachusetts. The answer for me is always an easy one and one I am proud to talk about. I knew I wanted to attend a liberal arts college on the East Coast, and Holy Cross had much to offer. More importantly, however, moving away from home at 17 years old was intimidating, and I wanted to make the right choice. Worcester is the birthplace of the Armenian-American diaspora, and from the moment I stepped foot in the city, I knew it would be home for the next four years. It is a privilege to be part of the oldest Armenian community in the United States.

Madeline Bogdjalian (bottom left) with the Fall 2023 Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program post-graduate fellows and undergraduate interns at the ANCA Aramian House

As a Worcester “Aram” AYF Chapter member, I have gotten to know so many wonderful Armenians in Worcester and feel at home. Since joining the chapter in my freshman year of college, I have become treasurer and an involved member of the Worcester Armenian community. My involvement in AYF has raised my awareness of the challenges facing our community, both here in the United States and in our homeland. I believe diasporan Armenians have a responsibility to play a role in the Armenian cause however they can.

When I had the opportunity to spend my semester in Washington, I wanted to continue to be an involved member of the Armenian diaspora and push forward Armenian advocacy initiatives in the nation’s capital. From the moment I arrived in Washington, D.C., I knew the next three months would be filled with meaningful advocacy for the Armenian community.

My semester in D.C. took place during a tragic and turbulent time for our homeland and the Armenians of Artsakh. On my second day as an intern at the ANCA, I attended my first-ever congressional commission hearing—the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission emergency hearing—to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. I remember sitting in the hearing room, surrounded by fellow ANCA team and community members, listening to U.S. representatives and former ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo discuss Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh Armenians. From that day on, every day I spent at the ANCA office focused on Artsakh justice and Armenian advocacy. We attended multiple hearings, posted updates and encouraged members of Congress and presidential candidates to speak up for Artsakh. We used our voices to amplify the Armenian cause in the American political sphere.

Reflecting on my semester in D.C. and my time at the ANCA, I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to work at an exceptional organization. The ANCA does unparalleled work for our community and puts Hai Tahd at the forefront of its goals. The grassroots advocacy power of the Armenian community and consistent work done by the ANCA are inspiring and a testament to the Armenian diaspora’s impact in the political sphere. During my time as a Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Intern, I met with several distinguished politicians, attended congressional committee and commission hearings and even sat in Congress for a historic moment as His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, led the opening prayer in the U.S. House of Representatives. These experiences were truly formative in my understanding of Armenian advocacy and the workings of Washington and made my time in D.C. very special.

Madeline Bogdjalian and fellow Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program fellows and interns join ANCA Programs Director Alex Galitsky in thanking Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) for spearheading the unanimous passage of legislation (S.3000) cutting U.S. aid to Azerbaijan and demanding accountability for the genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh

Spending my semester in D.C. as a Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Intern has been very rewarding. I have been able to contribute to the Armenian cause in the political sphere and tie my undergraduate education with my passion for Armenian advocacy. I wrote my thesis on the Armenian lobby’s influence on United States foreign policy, largely inspired by everything I learned during my internship at the ANCA. My research and thesis would not have been possible without the resources, network and interviews the ANCA provided me.

While in D.C., I worked with fellow Capital Gateway interns in the office and Capital Gateway fellows living in the Aramian House. The community fostered by the program is second to none. They make D.C. feel like home and offer great support, guidance and mentorship. I have made wonderful connections and lifelong friendships through the Capital Gateway Program.

I encourage anyone who can spend a semester in Washington, D.C., to apply to the Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program university internship. It is a fantastic way to engage in Armenian advocacy and activism while pursuing an undergraduate education. I cannot speak highly enough about the program and my time working at the ANCA. This has been my favorite semester in my undergraduate education, and I hope to return to Washington and the ANCA as a Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway fellow post-graduation to explore career opportunities and continue advocating for the Armenian cause.