2024 Oratorical Middle School Contestants and Judges

The Armenian Educational Foundation’s Fifth Annual Oratorical Contest drew in over 150 supporters on January 27 at UCLA’s Royce Hall, in Los Angeles, California. This year’s Oratorical Contest was held in collaboration with the UCLA Center for World Languages.

Representatives from eight local Armenian schools competed in both English and Armenian in the Middle School and High School Contests. The participating schools included:

• A.G.B.U. Manoogian-Demirdjian School;
• Armenian Mesrobian School;
• Armenian Sisters’ Academy;
• C & E Merdinian Evangelical School;
• Chamlian Armenian School;
• Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School;
• Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian School;
• Sahag Mesrob Armenian Christian School.

This year’s competition covered a wide array of topics, including the connection between community and longevity, the influence of an Armenian role model, the impact of a non-profit organization in Armenia, and the effects of instant gratification on society. The judging criteria were based on the American Legion National Oratorical Contest guidelines.

The professional experience of the panel of judges encompassed a variety of backgrounds, including education, language, law, broadcast journalism, digital media, and film.

The distinguished judges for the middle school competition were:

• Alex Bastian, Esq. (President & CEO, Hotel Council of San Francisco);
• Tereza Hovhannisyan (Lecturer of Eastern Armenian Language, UCLA Near Eastern Languages & Cultures Department);
• Zaven Keuroghlian (Co-Founder & CEO, Zartonk Media);
• Sev Ohanian (Screenwriter & Film Producer);
• Dr. Shant Shekherdemian (Associate Professor of Surgery & Interim Chief of Pediatric Surgery, UCLA, Associate Director for Healthcare Outreach, UCLA Promise Armenian Institute);
• Vruir Tadevosian (TV Host & Journalist, Horizon Armenian TV).

2024 Oratorical High School Contestants and Judges

The distinguished judges for the high school competition were:

• Armine Amiryan (Head of News, USArmenia TV);
• Dr. Hagop Gulludjian (Kachigian Senior Lecturer of Armenian Language & Culture, UCLA Near Eastern Languages & Cultures Department);
• Ani Hovannisian Kevorkian (Documentary Filmmaker);
• Araksya Karapetian (News Anchor, FOX 11/Good Day LA);
• Dr. Lilit Keshishyan (Project Director, USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies, Lecturer, USC Writing Program);
• Gegham Mughnetsyan (Chitjian Researcher Archivist, USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies).

Teni Karapetian, Director of Film Publicity at Netflix, acted as Mistress of Ceremonies of the Middle School Contest while Haig Boyadjian, Vice President of Development at the Children of Armenia Fund, was the Master of Ceremonies for the High School Contest.

The winners of the 2024 AEF Oratorical Middle School Contest were Arpa Bostanian (6th grade) representing Armenian Sisters’ Academy for the Armenian language competition, and Harout Karadanaian (8th grade) from A.G.B.U. Manoogian-Demirdjian School for the English language contest. The 2024 AEF Oratorical High School Contest winners, who received the Richard G. Hovannisian Scholarship, were Natelle Ezadjian (10th grade) representing Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School for the Armenian language contest, and Narod Ekmekjian (11th grade) from Armenian Mesrobian School for the English language contest. Each winner was awarded with a $1,000 prize.

Sev Ohanian remarked, “I was absolutely blown away by the exceptional caliber and passion exhibited by all of the students. It was an honor to witness such brilliance, and I am truly grateful for AEF for the work they do to tirelessly nurture and elevate our community’s educational landscape.”

Dr. Lilit Keshishyan commented, “It was an absolute pleasure judging the AEF Oratorical Contest. Events like these showcase not only the eloquence and confidence of the students sharing their ideas, but also the organizations, teachers, and parents that empower them. The energy in the room was inspiring.”

AEF’s purpose in hosting the Oratorical Contest is to promote public speaking in Armenian youth, with the hope of encouraging and shaping a future generation of leaders, motivators and influencers who can become a positive force and promote progress within their community.

For more information on the Armenian Educational Foundation or to donate online, please visit the website.