September 28, 2004
Armenia's Most Accomplished Students Spend Three Weeks in
Canada and the U.S. Participating in JAA's Annual Study Abroad Program
LOS ANGELES, CA - "My visit to Los Angeles led me to understand that business involves taking risks, hard work, and friendships," commented Haykuhi Khachatryan, a 16 year old high school student from Armenia. Experiencing the trip of a lifetime, Armenia's most accomplished high school students visited Canada and the United States as participants of Junior Achievement of Armenia's (JAA) 2004 Summer Study Abroad program. Each year since 1995, JAA has rewarded the cream of the crop among the tens of thousands of students enrolled its program with the opportunity to attend an educational conference and visit Southern California. In 2004, the student participants were Haykuhi Khachatryan, Anna Avetisyan, and Matevos Mheryan - current students or recent graduates of JAA's economics and civics programs. They were selected based on their academic excellence and English-language proficiency; joining them was JAA Head Administrator Grigori Nazaryan.
Junior Achievement of Armenia's economics and civics programs impact more than 170,000 students each year. By the end of 2005, more than 20% of Armenia's population will have taken classes with a JAA-trained instructor. "To stand out among thousands of talented young people enrolled in our courses, you can imagine how special these students truly are," commented JAA Executive Director Armine Hovannisian.
Highlighting their trip was an unforgettable one-week stay in Saskatoon, Canada, where they attended the 34th Annual Canadian National Junior Achievement Conferenece (CANJAC) held at the University of Saskatchewan. Their sojourn in Southern California was highlighted by a private meeting with Metro Goldwyn Mayer CEO Alex Yemenidjian, a luncheon with The Keith Companies CEO Aram Keith, Governor George Deukmejian, and George Mooradian, and an audience with the Western Diocese Primate, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian.
This year's program began in early August at the 34th Annual Canadian National Junior Achievement Conference (CANJAC) held at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada. CANJAC is a forum designed to further educate young people about business and to provide an opportunity to reward and recognize outstanding performance, while encouraging even greater future accomplishments. The 2004 theme, "Walk the Talk," provided a sense of uniqueness and focus throughout the week, with sub-themes covering major topics such as marketing, process & production, and human resources. Among the many important lessons that conference delegates learned were goal-setting benchmarks, effective communication and team-building skills, confidence in themselves and their abilities, and an understanding of the contribution of different cultures to society. Perhaps most importantly, the JAA students forged close and lasting friendships with many of the international participants.
On August 21st, following this extraordinary one-week program, the JAA visitors traveled to Southern California where they toured businesses, met elected officials and policy makers, interacted with community leaders, and engaged in regional and social events.
Their Southern California visit featured a private meeting with Metro Goldwyn Mayer CEO Alex Yemenidjian, arranged by Kevork Zoryan; a luncheon in Orange County with Aram Keith, Chairman of the Board and CEO of The Keith Companies, Inc., joined by Governor George Deukmejian and George Mooradian, and JAA Board members Cynthia Tusan, Melik Kumjian, and Bruce Tatarian; and an audience with His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese. Other highlights included a tour of Sony Music with A&R executive Robert Shahnazarian; a private meeting with Solana Beach Mayor Joe Kellejian at Solana Beach City Hall; and lunch at Disneyland's exclusive Club 33 with Gary and Candy Bickers, the hosts, along with Kellejian and his wife, Mary, and Ara Kassarian.
Observing the American business environment, Khachatryan, Avetisyan, Mheryan, and Nazaryan toured many industries including manufacturing (AA Cater Truck Mfg., Vahe Karapetian, Los Angeles); retail sales and distribution (Jons Marketplace, Jack Berberian, Hollywood; Popcorn Man Plant of Fontozzi , Jim Melikian, Maywood; From the Hearth Bakery, Carson; Paul Mitchell, Beverly Hills; Mouse Pad Designs, Glenn Boghosian, Santa Fe Springs) medical laboratory testing (L & M Lab, Melik Kumjian, Brea); and pre-packaged produce manufacturing (Ready Pac, Seb Gertmenian, Irwindale). The JAA participants enjoyed visits to Disneyland (courtesy of Gary & Candy Bickers), Downtown Hollywood, and Universal Studios (courtesy of Jons Marketplace).
Honoring the JAA students, special events were hosted by JAA President Jack Berberian at his Tarzana home, the Triple X Fraternity of San Diego, the Armenian Professionals Network of the Western Diocese with guest speaker Christina Tusan, and Luther Eskigian at his Altadena home. They also were honored at a breakfast of the Pasadena Sunrise Rotary club and at a luncheon hosted by the Rotary Club of Altadena, where a $20,000 grant for expansion of JAA's economics curriculum was presented to the group. Luncheons were also hosted by Dr. Jack Hachigian, Sara Chitjian, and Silva Bezdikian.
Anna Avetisyan recently graduated from Nor Hajn Secondary School #2, where she received excellent grades; she hopes to become an economist. She enjoys reading, dancing, and sports. She especially enjoys listening to music - her favorite singer is Eminem. She is actively involved in special projects in her local community. Ms. Avetisyan is 16 years old and one of four children. Her father is a former mayor of the City of Nor Hajn. Currently, he is vice president at the Armenian Electricity Company. Her mother is an economist and works as a technical supervisor at the Sapphire Factory. Ms. Avetisyan speaks Armenian, English, and Russian fluently.
Haykuhi Khachatryan is currently enrolled at Yerevan Physmat College where she studies mathematics. She is an active participant in school government. She hopes to continue her education at Yerevan State Economics University in the field of economics. She enjoys music - her favorite singer is Enrique Iglesias. Ms. Khachatryan is 16 years old and is one of two children. Her father is a successful businessman and her mother is a lecturer at Yerevan State Medical University.
Matevos Mheryan is enrolled at Yerevan State University in the Department of Economics. He has been a member of the university's student council. His career ambition is to become a banker. In his spare time, Mr. Mheryan assists his father in the family business. He also enjoys reading, dancing, and sports. When he listens to music, his favorite singer is Brian Adams. Mr. Mheryan is 20 years old and is one of three children. His father is a successful businessman and his mother is a teacher at a local school.
Grigori Nazaryan is the Head Administrator at Junior Achievement of Armenia's Yerevan-based home office. He is a graduate of Yerevan State University's Department of Management and International Relations. He holds a master's degree and Ph.D. from the same institution. From 1997-1999, he worked as a sales representative for Kotayk Brewery, an Armenian-French joint venture. He enjoys traveling, listening to music, reading, and sports. He is an avid coin collector and boasts a collection representing more than 70 different countries. Mr. Nazaryan is 28 years old. He is married and has a one-year old daughter.
Junior Achievement of Armenia was established in 1992 to assist Armenia's transition to a free market economy and democratic governance. JAA's mission is to give today's Armenian youth the necessary skills and knowledge to compete and succeed in tomorrow's world. The mission is accomplished through economics and civics education. Today, JAA reaches more than 170,000 high school students each year with its programs. Under the skilled administration of Executive Director Armine Hovannisian, the organization operates classes in every region of Armenia with eight regional headquarters and local staff. JAA is a 501(c) (3), non-profit organization registered in the State of California and Republic of Armenia. For further information and to make a tax-deductible contribution, please call (818) 753-4997.
