The First High School Graduation at Avedisian School

30/06/2017 News No comments

The First High School Graduation at Avedisian School

On June 23, a festive celebration took place in the auditorium of the Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School & Community Center, which yielded its first crop of High School graduates.

Teachers, staff, parents, and members of the Coordinating Committee along with staff and supporters of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) attended the event.

Mrs. Rakel Dink, wife of the late Hrant Dink, Co-founder, Editor and Publisher of AGOS Armenian weekly in Istanbul was the commencement speaker.

Among the honored guests were RA Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchyan, UNDP Armenia Representative Bradley Busetto, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brazil to Armenia Edson Monteiro, AUA administrative officers, ASPU rector Ruben Mirzakhanyan and employees of the Philological Faculty, and “Diaspora” Scientific-Educational Center, “Heritage” Party Chairman Raffi Hovhannisyan, Municipal Council of the City of Yerevan member Anahit Bakhshyan, president of the Yerevan Writers’ Union Abgar Apinyan, Executive Director of the “Armenia Tree Project” Jeanmarie Papelian, and the WCC Armenia Round Table President Karen Nazaryan.

Following inspiring performances by the graduates, the Minister of Education and Science addressed the graduates, wishing them success, and congratulated the school and benefactors on the occasion of the first graduates of the high school.

Then Rakel Dink spoke about the history and prospective programs of “Camp Armen” since the assasination of the founder of the “AGOS” Armenian weekly in Istanbul, Hrant Dink.

Harout Nercessian, AMAA Armenia Representative, presented the school benefactors, Edward and Pamela Avedisian, stating that the Avedisians, inspired by their parents, gave the children of Malatia-Sebastia District the best gift one can give a child – quality education.

Edward Avedisian spoke with unfettered joy on how the idea of establishing a school in his motherland was conceived and his joy of seeing the fruits of his efforts today.

Melanya Geghamyan, school principal, expressed her “motherly” words of farewell to the graduates.

The alumni diplomas were handed by Mr. & Mrs. Avedisian, Harout Nercessian, Melanya Geghamyan and Rakel Dink.

The event, dedicated to the first graduates at Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School, was also marked by another memorable event. A solemn opening of the room named after Hrant Dink took place. The honor of cutting the ribbon was given to Mrs. Rakel Dink.

After the event, benefactors Edward and Pamela Avedisian planted a silver fir in the presence of guests and alumni in the yard of the school, in memory of Charles Bilezikian, the benefactor of the pre-school building after philanthropists Krikor and Beatrice Bilezikians.

We wish our graduates heavenly blessings and all the best in their professional and personal lives.