GLENDALE, Calif.—The Armenian National Committee of America-Glendale Chapter welcomed two local students for its Fall Internship Program in October. The internship opportunity offered every ten weeks, gives students the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of local politics, current Armenian American issues, and grassroots community outreach. The two participants graduating from ANCA Glendale’s Fall Internship program are Sarin Keshishian and Sareen Shateekian.
Sarin Keshishian, a senior from AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian High School, is very involved in sports. She is captain of her school’s Varsity Cross Country Team and a player on her school’s varsity volleyball team. Her participation in sports has taught her values such as cooperation, teamwork, and the importance of communication and outreach. In the near future, Keshishian hopes to study human relations and communications in college through her experiences with public relations and social media management during her internship.
Sareen Shatikian, a junior from Clark Magnet High School, is involved in many extracurricular activities. She is an active member of the Armenian Youth Federation among many other extracurricular activities and school clubs.
“Because of the internship, I learned how to work in a professional work environment. I was involved in several main projects during my time at ANCA Glendale, one of which was the ANCA Western Region Grassroots Conference and the launch of ANCA Glendale’s YouTube Channel, which is coming soon.”
Shateekian would like to study international relations in college, and found that working with an organization like the ANCA allowed her to gain hands-on experience she feels she can apply to future studies.
“We had two bright and exceptional high school students this fall. With all of their schoolwork and extracurricular activities, they managed to work hard, to be creative, and to work on their own projects meanwhile.”
Established in the Fall of 2007, The ANCA Glendale Internship program provides an opportunity for student leaders and activists to gain an in-depth understanding of Armenian-American issues as well as advocacy efforts on the local level. In addition to networking with community leaders, candidates participate in workshops featuring a variety of guest speakers, including public officials, ANCA leadership, and specialists from the community. Interns also partake in joint projects with fellow interns as well as individual sessions ranging from media relations and civic participation to grassroots advocacy.
Applications for the Winter 2014 Internship program will be available online at www.ancaglendale.org on January 13, 2013. Feel free to contact ANCA Glendale at admin@ancaglendale.org or 818.243.3444 with any questions.
The ANCA-Glendale advocates for the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the city’s Armenian American community and promotes increased civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels.
janna good job Sareen! keep going. we are very proud of you
The ANCA gives students great experience in many aspects from political to social concerns. It is a great stepping stone for political science majors and it also gives invaluable experience hands on, especially when building a relationship network.
This is a great program, and many of these students have worked as aides for Congressional Districts, or Assembly offices. It brings them a good grasp of politics and how as Americans we can help to shape policy or support a new law or policy for Armenian Americans.
Staying involved in the process, is important. It also keeps politicians in check with their duties and any potential special interest groups buying their way into politician’s decision making.