YEREVAN—The American University of Armenia’s first graduating Class of 1993 celebrated its 20th Reunion. The alumni gathered on-campus at AUA from July 11-14. The program included meetings with university leadership, walks down memory lane, and tours of the AUA campus and facilities, as well as a group visit to the AUA Center where a tree was planted by the class in honor of the AUA founders on the 10th anniversary of their graduation.
The 20th year alumni, many of whom reside in Armenia, expressed their gratitude for the education they had received. “After all these years, AUA continues to be a big part of our lives,” remarked Gagik Yegiazarian. “AUA taught us to become successful in a global economy,” noted Zakar Boyajian.
“We are very grateful to AUA for the excellent education we received at the first American model higher educational institution in Armenia,” noted Anahit Ordyan, the visionary behind the event. “My classmates and I have stayed in touch, and we realize what a difference AUA has made in our lives – allowing us to go on to successful careers,” Ordyan continued.
In his welcoming remarks, AUA President Dr. Bruce Boghosian thanked the Class of 1993 for their leadership. “Your many successes make us all proud. We welcome you back to your alma mater. This will always be your home,” noted Boghosian.
Enthusiastic congratulations were shared by many. Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian, one of the founders of AUA, personally conveyed his greetings during the many gatherings. “Our success as a university is in our graduates,” noted Der Kiureghian. In speaking about the nearly 2,500 graduates of AUA, Der Kiureghian noted, “we are so proud that a large majority of our graduates have stayed in Armenia, to contribute to the local society and economy.”
Greetings were received from AUA Founding President Dr. Mihran Agbabian, Elizabeth Agbabian, AUA long-term supporter Savey Tufenkian, classmates Armen Martirosian and Suzy Sahakian, who shared their thoughts via video messages from Los Angeles, California.
Alumni Endowment Fund Established
To commemorate this momentous occasion, the Class of 1993 decided to establish and launch the first-ever AUA Alumni Endowment Fund with the goal of raising $20,000. The enthusiastic group surpassed their fundraising goal by reporting $24,000. At the time of the formal check presentation to President Boghosian, the amount of the Endowment reached $35,000.
“In launching the Alumni Endowment Fund we hope to galvanize those who graduated after us to follow our lead,” noted Suren Shahinyan.
“For our 10th Reunion, we donated $5,000 to AUA’s AGBU Papazian Library. For our 15th Reunion we increased our donation to $11,000 contributing to the construction of the Paramaz Avedisian Building. For our 20th Reunion, we decided to launch an Alumni Endowment Fund to help future students receive the education we were so fortunate to receive,” remarked Ordyan.
“We would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Zaven and Sonia Akian for generously underwriting the reunion festivities. And special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph and Savey Tufenkian for their support,” Ordyan continued. “The generosity of the Akians and the Tufenkians helped us plan for this successful event.”
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides education in Armenia and the region, offering graduate and undergraduate studies.
