Los Angeles, CA – The Armenian National Committee Western Region (ANC-WR) Internship-Externship Program (IEP) kicked off its summer session last week as all seven participants gathered together for the first time at the ANC-WR offices on Thursday, June 19, 2008. The five interns and two externs for this session’s program, all hailing from a variety of schools throughout California, have been actively addressing Armenian American issues in their own communities and campuses and are joining together this summer to work on various projects.

“This is an exciting summer on so many levels- from the national scene and the presidential elections to our regional efforts to strengthen our grassroots in collaboration with our chapters throughout the Western United States,” stated ANC-WR Community Relations Director Haig Hovsepian. “Our interns as well as our externs will be a huge part of our effort on all these fronts,” he added.

This summer’s participants are Hovanes Gasparian (UC Berkeley), Amy Kaladzhyan (UC Santa Barbara), Shant Karnikian (UC Santa Barbara Alum), Mikael Kourinian (CSU Northridge Alum), Araz Parseghian (Woodbury Alum), Armine Sargsyan (UCLA), and Tamar Tavlian (Pasadena City College).

Established in June 2006, the ANC-WR IEP is a selective and intensive program that provides student leaders and activists with an opportunity to participate in a program designed to provide an in-depth introduction to Armenian American issues as well as advocacy efforts on the federal, state and local level. The program hosts spring, summer and autumn sessions.

The Armenian National Committee – 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 ANC-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

Photo caption: ANC-WR Summer Interns at ANC-WR offices.