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PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net
July 25, 2011
_______________________________________________
Three Interns Travel to Armenia to Work at FAR Children's Support Center in
Yerevan
By Melanie Panosian
This summer the ACYOA Central Council has teamed up with the Fund for
Armenian Relief (FAR) and Birthright Armenia to create an eight-week
internship at the FAR Children's Support Center in Yerevan, Armenia. For the
summer of 2011-its inaugural year-the program has accepted three interns
from various backgrounds to be the pioneers in this project: Tatevik
Khoja-Eynatyan, Crystal Densmore, and Krista Tyner.
Coordinated by Birthright Armenia, the interns moved in with host families
in Yerevan on June 12 and will reside there as they serve in the homeland
until August 7. Along with housing accommodations, the interns are enrolled
in Armenian lessons and participate in excursions through Birthright
Armenia.
Nancy Basmajian, Executive Secretary of ACYOA, thanked Linda Yapoyan, the
Birthright Armenia director, who has been "very cooperative in helping the
ACYOA coordinate the trip, as has travel agent Shake Derderian."
Through their work at the FAR Children's Center, the interns are gaining
knowledge about children and family protection services in Armenia, in
addition to hands-on experience in various departments. The center, founded
in 2000 in Yerevan, provides psychological, social, and medical counseling
for Armenian children ages 3 to 18. The FAR Children's Center is the only
institution in Armenia that functions as a crisis intervention and
rehabilitation center for children in need.
As a facility, it also provides shelter, counseling, outreach services,
health care, and legal assistance to children and their families 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. The interns assist with the operations of the center
on a daily basis; yet as Krista Tyner explained, "No two days are exactly
the same, which is great because we get to see all aspects of the
organization."
Working under Armenia's leading expert in child protection services and
executive director of the center, Dr. Mira Antonyan, the interns have the
opportunity to attend conferences and social work meetings, and help Dr.
Antonyan edit articles for publication and conduct research.
Tatevik Khoja-Eynatyan expressed her appreciation for "Dr. Antonyan's
relentlessness and kindness, which have been immensely inspiring." She added
that "the knowledge Dr. Antonyan bestows on us about social work in Armenia
has been invaluable."
Tatevik Khoja-Eynatyan, 22, of the St. Mary Church in Washington, D.C., is
teaching individual piano lessons to the children at the center, in addition
to using her Armenian fluency to assist as a translator. Tatevik is
currently studying at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University for
a graduate performance degree in percussion, and has already received
degrees in percussion and musicology from the same university.
Krista Tyner, 22, of the St. James Church in Evanston, Ill., is teaching
dance to the children at the center. A recent graduate of Loyola University
in Chicago with a degree in sociology and minors in psychology and dance,
Krista has been chairperson of her parish's Senior ACYOA chapter for the
past two years. Krista is a new addition to the St. James Church Choir, and
served as a committee member of the Armenian Dance Company of Chicago for
the past two years.
Crystal Densmore, 20, of the St. Mesrob Church in Racine, Wis., is teaching
computer skills to the children at the center, in addition to working on
other daily tasks. She is a nursing major at Waukesha County Technical
College in Wisconsin, who has participated in ACYOA for several years.
Overall, the interns are very pleased with their experience, and are proud
to be making a difference. Tatevik explained: "I quickly learned that my
positive attitude makes an immediate difference in the children's lives."
Crystal offered another lesson learned: "These kids are always happy, and
seeing their smiling faces tells me that no matter how difficult life can
be, you can always be happy." She adds that she has come to realize that "I
am stronger than I thought I was." Still, Krista admits, "In the beginning
it was really difficult. I cried most nights after I got home."
"I can't change their lives in eight weeks," Krista now realizes. "But I
know I can have a strong impact on their lives, and they most definitely
will have a strong impact on mine when I leave here."
###
Photos attached.
Photo 1: From left: Crystal Densmore, Krista Tyner, and Tatevik
Khoja-Eynatyan outside the FAR Children's Support Center in Yerevan,
Armenia.
Photo 2: From left: Tatevik Khoja-Eynatyan, Crystal Densmore, and Krista
Tyner are interning at the FAR Children's Support Center in Yerevan, Armenia
this summer.
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net
July 25, 2011
_______________________________________________
Three Interns Travel to Armenia to Work at FAR Children's Support Center in
Yerevan
By Melanie Panosian
This summer the ACYOA Central Council has teamed up with the Fund for
Armenian Relief (FAR) and Birthright Armenia to create an eight-week
internship at the FAR Children's Support Center in Yerevan, Armenia. For the
summer of 2011-its inaugural year-the program has accepted three interns
from various backgrounds to be the pioneers in this project: Tatevik
Khoja-Eynatyan, Crystal Densmore, and Krista Tyner.
Coordinated by Birthright Armenia, the interns moved in with host families
in Yerevan on June 12 and will reside there as they serve in the homeland
until August 7. Along with housing accommodations, the interns are enrolled
in Armenian lessons and participate in excursions through Birthright
Armenia.
Nancy Basmajian, Executive Secretary of ACYOA, thanked Linda Yapoyan, the
Birthright Armenia director, who has been "very cooperative in helping the
ACYOA coordinate the trip, as has travel agent Shake Derderian."
Through their work at the FAR Children's Center, the interns are gaining
knowledge about children and family protection services in Armenia, in
addition to hands-on experience in various departments. The center, founded
in 2000 in Yerevan, provides psychological, social, and medical counseling
for Armenian children ages 3 to 18. The FAR Children's Center is the only
institution in Armenia that functions as a crisis intervention and
rehabilitation center for children in need.
As a facility, it also provides shelter, counseling, outreach services,
health care, and legal assistance to children and their families 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. The interns assist with the operations of the center
on a daily basis; yet as Krista Tyner explained, "No two days are exactly
the same, which is great because we get to see all aspects of the
organization."
Working under Armenia's leading expert in child protection services and
executive director of the center, Dr. Mira Antonyan, the interns have the
opportunity to attend conferences and social work meetings, and help Dr.
Antonyan edit articles for publication and conduct research.
Tatevik Khoja-Eynatyan expressed her appreciation for "Dr. Antonyan's
relentlessness and kindness, which have been immensely inspiring." She added
that "the knowledge Dr. Antonyan bestows on us about social work in Armenia
has been invaluable."
Tatevik Khoja-Eynatyan, 22, of the St. Mary Church in Washington, D.C., is
teaching individual piano lessons to the children at the center, in addition
to using her Armenian fluency to assist as a translator. Tatevik is
currently studying at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University for
a graduate performance degree in percussion, and has already received
degrees in percussion and musicology from the same university.
Krista Tyner, 22, of the St. James Church in Evanston, Ill., is teaching
dance to the children at the center. A recent graduate of Loyola University
in Chicago with a degree in sociology and minors in psychology and dance,
Krista has been chairperson of her parish's Senior ACYOA chapter for the
past two years. Krista is a new addition to the St. James Church Choir, and
served as a committee member of the Armenian Dance Company of Chicago for
the past two years.
Crystal Densmore, 20, of the St. Mesrob Church in Racine, Wis., is teaching
computer skills to the children at the center, in addition to working on
other daily tasks. She is a nursing major at Waukesha County Technical
College in Wisconsin, who has participated in ACYOA for several years.
Overall, the interns are very pleased with their experience, and are proud
to be making a difference. Tatevik explained: "I quickly learned that my
positive attitude makes an immediate difference in the children's lives."
Crystal offered another lesson learned: "These kids are always happy, and
seeing their smiling faces tells me that no matter how difficult life can
be, you can always be happy." She adds that she has come to realize that "I
am stronger than I thought I was." Still, Krista admits, "In the beginning
it was really difficult. I cried most nights after I got home."
"I can't change their lives in eight weeks," Krista now realizes. "But I
know I can have a strong impact on their lives, and they most definitely
will have a strong impact on mine when I leave here."
###
Photos attached.
Photo 1: From left: Crystal Densmore, Krista Tyner, and Tatevik
Khoja-Eynatyan outside the FAR Children's Support Center in Yerevan,
Armenia.
Photo 2: From left: Tatevik Khoja-Eynatyan, Crystal Densmore, and Krista
Tyner are interning at the FAR Children's Support Center in Yerevan, Armenia
this summer.