Spring Session of ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program to Start February 21st

Washington DC’s hot job market makes this the best time to explore career opportunities in the nation’s capital

December 30, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC — The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has moved up the start of the Spring 2022 Session of the Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program (CGP), to accommodate the growing number of recent graduates interested in exploring careers in policy, politics, and media in the nation’s capital.

The Spring session of the CGP offers successful applicants three months of free housing, career-building workshops, and networking opportunities, along with personalized mentorship to help job-seekers kick-start their careers in Washington.

Applications for the Spring session are due by January 26th, and are available at anca.org/gateway/application. The session begins on February 21st. In addition to recent graduates, the ANCA CGP also serves university students interested in Washington, DC internship opportunities– both at the ANCA offices and various governmental agencies, space permitting.

“Washington DC is hiring! And the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program team and alumni are perfectly placed to help recent university graduates kickstart their careers in policy, politics, and media,” said ANCA Programs Director Alex Manoukian. “We provide free housing, mentorships, and seminars – right in the heart of the nation’s capital – to help you find your place in Washington, DC.”

Launched in 2003, the ANCA Gateway Program is named after Hovig Apo Saghdejian, a beloved young community leader who lost his life in a tragic car accident and whose eternal memory continues to inspire new generations of Armenian Americans. His family generously established the Hovig Apo Saghdejian Memorial Fund in his memory and, over the past decade, has played a vital role in the expansion of the program. Substantial support has also been provided through a grant by the Cafesjian Family Foundation, longtime ANCA benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Barbara Hekimian and the Armenian American Veterans Post of Milford, Massachusetts (AAVO).

The Gateway Program has helped over 200 Armenian American professionals from across the U.S. explore career prospects in Washington DC. Gateway Program fellows are offered three months of free housing at the ANCA’s Aramian House, located in the heart of Washington, DC in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, just blocks from the ANCA offices. Manoukian and the Capital Gateway Program Advisory Committee (CGPAC) coordinate a series of career placement workshops on a range of issues including resume and cover letter preparation, effective interview strategies, and networking. The CGPAC also connects fellows with mentors most closely aligned with their career goals for one-on-one advice and encouragement.

For university students interested in a quarter/semester in Washington, DC, the ANCA CGP can assist with internship guidance and placements both at the ANCA headquarters and other public policy and government institutions.

Eligible program participants live at the Aramian House, purchased in 2016 and made possible through a generous donation by the family of the late community leader and philanthropist Martha Aramian of Providence, Rhode Island. The Aramian family – led by sisters Sue, the late Margo, and the late Martha – have long been among the most generous benefactors of ANCA programs as well as of charitable projects in the Armenian homeland and the Diaspora.

Additional information about the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program is available at anca.org/gateway or by calling (202) 775-1918.

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