The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region successfully concluded the 2021 session of the Walter and Laurel Karabian Fellowship program. California native Araksya Nordikyan was selected as the 2021 fellow, spending 6 months at the ANCA-WR office working on the organization’s policy initiatives and the remaining term of the 9-month program at the Los Angeles Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department.

“We congratulate Araksya upon the successful completion of the fellowship program and wish her the best of luck in future professional endeavors,” said ANCA-WR Interim Executive Director Verginie Touloumian. “We also look forward to utilizing Arakysa’s expertise and knowledge to tackle issues pertaining to racial discrimination and rise in Armenophobia faced by our community in recent years.”

“As a Karabian Fellow, I became intrigued by the inherent role that the public sector plays in ensuring civil and human rights are not violated and opportunities are available for everyone through the creation and implementation of equitable policies and empowering programs. The exposure to both city and non-profit operations offered me further understanding and appreciation of the complexities of advocacy and laws,” noted Nordikyan. “I am forever grateful to the staff at ANCA-WR and CHRED for their mentorship, and look forward to applying these experiences in my future endeavors. For those interested in public service, I highly recommend applying to this program!”

Throughout her tenure at the ANCA-WR, Nordikyan worked on a number of legislative and policy initiatives of the organization including the Duty to Prevent – D2P Initiative launched in response to the alarming escalation of Armenophobic crimes and incidents around the world. D2P entails proactive measures aimed at raising awareness, monitoring, reporting, and condemning hatred, bigotry, and xenophobia with the goal of preventing crimes from taking place in the first place.

“As the second fellow of this innovative program, we are proud to have supported Araksya’s growth and development as a civic leader,” stated Karabian Fellowship Selection Committee Member Nareg Kitsinian, Esq. “Our goal is to prepare Armenian-American leaders of tomorrow and I invite all interested and qualified candidates to apply in the future iterations of the fellowship.”

“Araksya represents the epitome of public service and the highest standards of grace, poise, and excellence of the Armenian community. She has done incredible work with us at the LA Civil Rights Department as part of the Karabian Fellowship,” remarked Capri Maddox, Executive Director, Civil + Human Rights and Equity (LA Civil Rights) Department, City of Los Angeles. “We are so grateful to the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region for their partnership and to Araksya for her continued service for our city. Remember the name Araksya Nordikyan, she’s a leader in the making!”

The Walter and Laurel Karabian Fellowship is a nine-month experience that offers young Armenian-Americans the opportunity to enhance their leadership and professional skills. The purpose of this fellowship is to produce professionals in the public policy and political arena.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan 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 in pursuit of the Armenian Cause.

Information regarding the 2022 session of the Walter and Laurel Karabian Fellowship will be released in the coming months.