A Welcome to Our 2017 Undergraduate Interns
June 29, 2017GLENDALE, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR) is proud to welcome 6 dedicated and passionate interns, Flora Adamian, Raffi Hariapetian, Hakob Mesropian, Nicholas Portnoy, Shant Reganyan, and Emily Samvalian to participate in the Summer 2017 internship/externship program.
“Over the years, our ANCA-WR Internship programs have produced dozens of dedicated activists who continue to serve in our grassroots army long after their internship ends. We are incredibly proud of each of our interns as they use their talents and skills to help advance the Armenian Cause, and we look forward to an exciting summer session with this wonderful intern class,” stated ANCA-WR Board Chair Nora Hovsepian.
Flora Adamian is a senior Diplomacy and World Affairs major and German minor at Occidental College. She is Editor-in-Chief of Occidental’s award-winning student-run news publication, The Occidental Weekly. Additionally, she has served as Chair of the Associated Students of Occidental College Honor Board, the college’s judicial branch of student government. She is deeply passionate about local politics and human rights, and hopes to pursue a career in immigration law after her undergraduate education. Adamian is an active member of the Armenian Youth Federation, where she has helped organize numerous protests, educational workshops, and cultural events for the Armenian community. She is excited to continue advocating for Armenian issues as an ANCA intern and hopes to encourage other young Armenians to become involved in the political process. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, German literature, and exploring art museums.
Raffi Hairapetian recently graduated from La Canada High School with honors. There, he lettered in four years of Varsity football and three years Varsity track and field. Raffi also played soccer and basketball in Homenetmen for the Azadamart chapter. Throughout high school, he worked closely with the La Canada Armenian Club to help organize events and increase community involvement. Raffi is a native Armenian speaker, and is conversational in German. Raffi intends to study economics and hopefully attend law school in the future. Raffi has joined the ANCA to help increase Armenian political activism and involvement to help secure a brighter future for all Armenians. In his free time, Raffi enjoys working on cars, playing piano, and working out.
Hakob Mesropian is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley. He is majoring in History with a minor in Armenian Studies. He plans to write his senior paper on the impact of British Colonialism on the Ottoman Empire and its effects on the Armenian population post-1700. He plans on attending law school after earning his Bachelor’s Degree. He is the current Cultural Chair of the UC Berkeley Armenian Students’ Association and he works to build a strong and prosperous community of Armenian students in the Bay Area. During his freshman year of college, Hakob discovered new ways of connecting with his Armenian culture and, as an ANCA intern, he hopes to continue discovering new opportunities to connect with Armenians all over the world. Hakob values unity and he prides himself in being able to communicate with people from different factions in order to find avenues for individuals to work together. Hakob treasures the time he spends with his family and loved ones and spends most of his spare time with them. He also enjoys going to the gym and reading books of different genres. As an intern, he hopes to better acclimate himself with the workings of the ANCA and how Armenian organizations in the Diaspora are able to impact their communities. He wishes to gain a better understanding on how to advocate for the Armenian cause through political activism and he plans to use the knowledge he gains to ensure the needs of the Armenian community are met.
Nicholas Portnoy is a junior standing at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is studying political science with a concentration in pre-law and legal studies. He speaks, reads and writes fluently in Russian. He is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. He has also served as part of the P2P nationwide project, sponsored by Edventure Partners, and the Department of Homeland Security, with a focus on developing strategies to combat radical extremist and anti-government groups in the United States. He plans on attending law school once he is finished with his undergraduate studies and has a concrete interest in geopolitics, public policy, legislative relations and government affairs. In his spare time, he enjoys reading classic Russian literature, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.
Shant Reganyan is currently a sophomore at University of California, Santa Barbara where he is majoring in Sociology and hopes to attend law school in the future. He is the “All-ASA Representative” for the Armenian Students Association and is also an active member of Armenian Youth Federation’s North Valley chapter. In his early life, he attended Holy Martyrs Ferrahian elementary and high school, and was active in most projects geared at helping the Armenian diaspora and Armenia directly. In 2016, Reganyan founded a non-profit organization -“Huys and Havadk”- to monetarily aid Orran, a youth and elderly redevelopment center located in Yerevan, Armenia. He is excited to work alongside the ANCA to continue to be involved with Armenia related issues and continue to fight for the Armenian cause. In his free time, Reganyan spends his time working on his company and helping the Armenian Youth Federation’s novice members become more involved in the organization.
Emily Samvalian is finishing her last year at California State University, Northridge where she is studying to become a math teacher. She is also a troop leader for Homenetmen Glendale’s Ararat chapter. Samvalian served as the Director of Socials and Fundraising with the All-Armenian Students Association from 2015-2017. She also served as treasurer for CSUN’s Armenian Students Association for Fall 2016 and helped find the Armenian Students Association at Pasadena City College in 2015, serving as their Vice-President. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends, family, and sewing.
College students or recent college graduates interested in learning more or applying to the ANCA-WR Internship Program may do so online at www.ancawr.org/internship. Applications are accepted year-round. Deadline for the fall session is September 20, 2017.
Established in summer 2006, the ANCA Western Region Internship Program is a selective part-time leadership program, which introduces college students and recent college graduates to all aspects of the public affairs arena. The program provides an opportunity for student leaders and activists to gain an in-depth understanding of the American political system, Armenian-American issues and advocacy efforts on the local, state and federal levels.
The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.