Los Angeles, CA – The Armenian National Committee – Western Region (ANC-WR) continues to reach out to students throughout the western United States in the new year, presenting to nearly two dozen student groups and campuses in the past month. Since mid-January, ANC-WR Community Relations Director Haig Hovsepian has visited several campuses including CSU Northridge, CSU Pomona, Los Angeles Valley College, Loyola Marymount University, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, USC, and Woodbury University.

“I thought it was a great visit, and the meeting was great as well. I found it very educational, as well as the rest of the ASA members. We were also able to meet and become familiar with the San Diego ANC chapter,” remarked Narek Amirbekian, president of UC San Diego’s Armenian Student Association (ASA).

Lusine Harutyunyan, CSUN Northridge ASA Vice President appreciated the campus visit and noted that this has helped build strong working relationships between the ANC and the ASAs on several campuses.

“Even though I have heard Haig speak many times before, I always learn something new each time,” said Harutyunyan.

“It was great that the ANC came to campus all the way from Los Angeles,” said UC Berkley’s ASA President Arbi Vartan. “Our members got a much better understanding of what the ANC advocates from the special video presentation, and it was a great experience for the students, since a lot of them are interested in community activism and Armenian-American issues.”

In the past month, Hovsepian has also met with the Arizona, Glendale, Hollywood, Montebello, Orange County, Pasadena, San Fernando Valley, and South Bay Armenian Youth Federation chapters in addition to presenting at a recent youth leadership luncheon hosted by the Committee for Armenian Students in Public High Schools. He discussed the internship program with students at Rose & Alex Pilibos High School in Hollywood, CA. In the coming months, Hovsepian will visit more college campuses and youth groups as well as Los Angeles area high schools to raise awareness of ANC internship and volunteer opportunities.

“This outreach is key to making sure that high school and college students are up-to-date on the issues and lets them know that we value their active participation in the community,” said Hovsepian. “They are highly motivated and interested in learning how they can make a difference. We look forward to working with them as student leaders and as participants in our internship programs,” he added.

Applications for the upcoming 2008 Summer Session of the ANC-WR’s Internship-Externship Program are now available online at www.anca.org in the Capital Gateway Program section. The deadline, March 1st is fast approaching and those interested in learning more about the program are encouraged to contact the ANC-WR office.

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots public affairs 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 promotes awareness of issues of concern to the Armenian American community.

Photo Caption: ANC-WR Community Relations Director, Haig Hovsepian, with UC Berkeley ASA members.