On Tuesday, June 4th the Armenian National Committee of America – Glendale (ANCA Glendale) awarded two local high school students the ANCA Glendale “Tsolag Hovsepian” Upstander Scholarship. Founded in partnership with the Glendale Unified School District, with this scholarship ANCA Glendale aims to recognize outstanding students who have demonstrated a strong sense of social responsibility, commitment to justice, and taken the initiative to stand up for an individual or group of people who are being disadvantaged.
Herbert Hoover High School senior Amira Chowdhury who is a founding member of Peerlift, a student run non-profit organization working to increase access to college related opportunities for low income students was one of the two students awarded the five hundred dollar scholarship.
Crescenta Valley High School Senior Collett Simonian, who serves as the president of the school’s Armenian Club where she initiated a project to donate necessary materials and supplies to underprivileged schools in rural Armenia was also awarded the scholarship.
Both students have an extensive record of leadership and academic excellence, demonstrate an innate ability to recognize injustice, initiate action and address issues in their school, community and beyond. They embody the qualities of an Upstander, and the ANCA Glendale is proud to support their pursuit of higher education. Miss Chowdhury will be attending the University of Pennsylvania and Miss Simonian the University of California Berkeley coming this fall.
The scholarship was established thanks to the generosity of Tsolag Hovsepian’s family. Mr. Hovsepian who celebrated his 100 birthday earlier this year, is a fellow activist, a humanitarian artist, with a history of 85 years of service to his people and his community. The ANCA Glendale is sincerely grateful to Mr. Hovsepian’s family for their generous contribution and commitment to funding this scholarship in the years to come.
Students interested in scholarship and internship opportunities should periodically visit our website for updates.
The ANCA Glendale Chapter 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. Learn more at www.ancaglendale.org
###