GLENDALE—Working together and on their individual projects, the seven interns of the Armenian National Committee-Western Region’s Internship Externship Program (ANC-WR IEP) reached the half-way point of the 2009 Summer Session this past week. In a few short weeks, the interns have accomplished much from organizing community forums on the 2010 US Census and covering the developing situation in the Nagorno Karabagh Republic to honing resume writing and interview skills as well as meeting with community organization leaders.
“The interns are off to a great start and I am impressed with their ability to handle several major projects along with smaller projects all at the same time,” said ANC-WR IEP Coordinator Haig Hovsepian. “It is great to see them bonding and supporting one another in their efforts.”
Interning at the ANC-WR this summer are Colette Ghazarian, Hovsep Hajibekyan, Srbui Karapetian, Razmig Khayalian, Nare Kupelian, Elizabeth McIntyre, and Lauren Shenian.
Although most of the work done by the interns takes place at the ANC-WR office, the interns have also gone into the field to strengthen local ANCs such as the ANC of Hollywood and the ANC of Orange County, by collaborating with them on projects geared towards engaging more of their respective local communities. The interns also led a canvassing effort to register voters at the 2009 Navasartian Games during the July 4th holiday weekend.
“I really enjoyed helping the ANC-WR have a visible and active presence at the Navasartian games. It was great meeting people and working to get others involved in the American political process,” noted McIntyre. “The Navasartian games were also an opportunity for me to learn more about the Armenian community and the organizations that are working to make a difference here in Los Angeles and beyond.”
The interns also participate in weekly group meetings featuring guest speakers and lecturers. In addition to federal and state issues briefings, the program has featured speakers from the ANC Professional Network and from the Genocide Education Project and covered a range of topics including campus activism.
“I especially enjoy the group meetings because they provide us with valuable tools and a knowledge base for future activism and civic engagement such as networking skills, introduction to community issues and grassroots organizing. These are the fundamentals of political activism and much more,” said Hajibekyan.
The 2009 Summer Session of the program will come to a close on August 21st. They will be presenting the culmination of their work to the ANC-WR Board of Directors and local ANC leaders at the end of the session.
The application for the 2009 Autumn Session is now available online. Those interested in applying can contact the ANC-WR office for more information.
