By: Shahan Goenjian

The Armenian National Committee of America has become an influential institution in both Armenian communities and American politics.  Whether by organizing community events, raising awareness of the Armenian genocide, mustering economic and political support for Armenia and Artsakh, or maintaining an Armenian voice in the realm of American politics, ANCA is an advocate for the Armenian people.  The ANCA-WR Summer Internship will be an exciting opportunity to not only gain valuable work experience, but to more importantly contribute to the Hye Tahd (Armenian Cause).

I feel humbled to have been accepted as an intern for the ANCA-WR, and I am excited to contribute to the great work ANCA does day in and day out.  So far the first week has been fairly calm.  We interns have been staying busy by answering phone calls and scouring through international, Armenian, and Turkish news.  We have also received the details of our summer project.  Our big goal is to help raise voter registration rates. We have some good ideas percolating so far.  We will need to take to the streets, but it is up to you, the Armenian-American citizens, to actually register and vote.  So, if you see a young, dapper ANCA Intern on the streets of Los Angeles don’t be shy and let us help you register you to vote.  It takes no more than five minutes to fill out a registration form.  It’s a fun process too.  Once you fill out the form, we will take care of the rest.

Now is a great time to become a registered voter because we have some important elections coming up in November. Voting will take place for the presidency, the US Senate, the House of Representatives, and the California State Assembly.  Moreover, here is a special shout out to Greg Krikorian running for State Assembly 43^rd District – it is good to support our Armenian politicians.

I would like to end my first blog by thanking ANCA-WR for selecting me and my fellow interns for the summer internship program.  We won’t let you down!