On Saturday April 13, 2013, CASPS held its sixth annual half-day Leadership Conference, “Connecting to Your Community,” at the offices of the Western Prelacy in La Crescenta. Over 30 Glendale Unified School District Armenian seniors with grade point averages of 3.5 or higher attended the conference.
The purpose of the gathering was to impart the importance of leadership in the future professional and personal lives of these bright students.
At the outset, Executive Director Arsineh H. Hovannisian welcomed the students and invited Reverend Father Ghevont Kirazian to deliver his invocation and blessing on behalf of His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy.
This year CASPS had invited the very engaging and knowledgeable Mr. David Ghoogasian, principal at Mesrobian Armenian School, to conduct the seminar. For three consecutive hours, Mr. Ghoogasian engaged the students in interactive discussions and activities relating to leadership styles, qualities and skills. The students showed great interest and participation throughout the seminar.
During the break, Edith Azizian, college counselor at Glendale College and member of CASPS, discussed some tips about embarking on their college careers and offered her assistance if they need it in the near future. Edith was followed by Karine Aboolian and Adrineh Minassian from “Focus on Children Now.” They discussed the mission of their organization, the altruistic work they do for children here and in Armenia and how the students can volunteer in their different programs.
The speakers stressed the importance of giving back to the community, getting involved and making a difference.
The event was a resounding success. Participating Clark Magnet High School student Meleeneh Hairapetian noted in a subsequent email of gratitude to CASPS: “In the midst of a hectic senior year, it’s nice to see our community reaching out to us. I thank God that your organization would take the time to contact us and let us know that the work we do is appreciated by our Armenian community. Thank you for your hard work. The seniors appreciate it.”
