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News and Notes

AMAA Executive Director/CEO Attends a Farewell Reception Hosted by the
Embassy of Armenia in US

n Monday July 19, AMAA Executive Director/CEO Zaven Khanjian
attended a farewell reception in Washington D.C. hosted by the
OEmbassy of Armenia to the United States for H.E. Ambassador
Varuzhan Nersesyan and Mrs. Narine Malkhasyan.
As Ambassador, Mr. Nersesyan heads to London as Republic of Armenia's
top diplomat in the United Kingdom. AMAA wishes him much success in his
new position. q

L to R: Ambassador Varuzhan Nersesyan and AMAA
Executive Director/CEO Zaven Khanjian.

Lusine Mnatsakanyan:
First Student from Avedisian School to Graduate from AUA in Yerevan, Armenia

By Jane Wenning, AMAA Staff
nother dream recently came true for Edward Avedisian, benefactor and founder of
the AMAA’s Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School in Yerevan, Armenia and
AAMAA Board member. His first dream, founding a no-tuition school for children
in Yerevan, came true with the opening of the Avedisian School in 1998. The second dream
was also in 1998 when Mr. Avedisian first began talking with the late Dr. Mihran Agbabian,
founding President of the American University of Armenia (AUA) in Yerevan, about estab-
lishing an undergraduate program at AUA. Mr. Avedisian felt that putting up the PAB and
expanding the tuition free Avedisian School from grade school to K-12 would make it pos-
sible for any deserving Armenian student to receive an education from kindergarten through
AUA without the burden of tuition. The AUA introduced its undergraduate program in 2013.
The first student to fulfill Mr. Avedisian’s two dreams was Lusine Mnatsakanyan from
Avedisian School who graduated summa cum laude from AUA in June 2021 with a degree
in General Business. A few days later she was awarded an internship with KPMG, one L to R: Melanya Geghamyan, Principal of
of the world’s Big 5 auditing companies and also applied to the AUA’s Master of Science Avedisian School, Lusine Mnatsakanyan and
Management program which she will attend on a scholarship sponsored by Mr. Avedisian. Professor Karin Markides, President of AUA.
During a recent email exchange between Lusine and Mr. Avedisian, Lusine thanked him for the chance to be a student at the Avedi-
sian School and AUA. "These two experiences have been life changing for me, and without your generous support I would not be the
person I am today. Thank you and your wife Pam so much for being role models, for supporting my education and for taking care of our
country. I will forever be grateful to you as you gave me the greatest gift of all time ̶ an education."
Lusine, who also did two exchange programs while studying, ̶ one at Wake Forest University in North Carolina and the other one
at the University of Cadiz in Spain ̶ has an ultimate goal of teaching high school and college students about innovation and entrepre-
neurship and to open an NGO supporting Armenian startups and technology companies. "Making Armenia economically strong is my
lifelong dream and I hope to make a small contribution to it," said Lusine.
"Pam and I were extremely disappointed in not being able to be in Armenia for your graduation from AUA," expressed Mr. Avedisian
to Lusine. "We are disappointed not only because of the person you are, but also because you are making history. Crossing the stage to
receive your diploma made all of this dream come true after some 20 plus years. We are quite proud of all you have accomplished dur-
ing your four years at AUA, all the while not losing sight of the Avedisian School and others deserving of your many talents and abilities
together with your concern for others. It is an honor, not only for you, but for your family, the Avedisian School, AUA and Armenia. We
congratulate you most heartily and look forward to following your future endeavors."
"The AMAA also wishes to congratulate Lusine on her wonderful achievements," said Zaven Khanjian, Executive Director/CEO
of the AMAA which established the Avedisian School in 1998 and the new award-winning "Green" School building in 2014. "She is
a shining example of the students we have at and graduate from the AMAA’s Avedisian School. We are very proud of the relationship
that has been established with the AUA that allows exceptional students like Lusine to continue their education at the college level." q

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