WASHINGTON, DC – University students interested in an intensive Armenian American advocacy training program in the nation’s capital have less than a month to apply for the Armenian National Committee of America’s (ANCA) Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship (LSI), with the 2017 application deadline now extended to April 1st.

The 2017 ANCA LSI session will run from June 19 to August 11, 2017. Additional information and the online application form are available at: anca.org/internship

“As a 2012 alumnus of the ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship Program, I can personally attest to the great educational and professional benefits of this Hai Tahd (Armenian Cause) training program for college students,” said ANCA Eastern Region Board Member Armen Sahakyan. “Throughout its 30-year existence, the LSI program has trained the future leaders of the Armenian American community, who’ve gone on to pursue their careers in a multitude of areas, ranging from the government to private sector.”

ANCA Western Region Executive Director Elen Asatryan concurred, noting, “The ANCA-WR is proud to contribute to the success of our youth by equipping them with the necessary skills, knowledge and contacts they need to begin their career paths. Each of our youth and leadership development programs – from the ANCA WR Internship in Glendale, Karabian Fellowship in Sacramento, the ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship and the Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program in Washington DC are designed to mentor and cultivate young leaders, and prepare them for future service opportunities in the public affairs arena.”

ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program Director Tereza Yerimyan, a 2011 alumna of the LSI Program, herself, will be administering the LSI 2017 session. Yerimyan reminisced about her experiences and discussed the program’s broader benefits with students at the Armenian Relief Society Youth Connect Program, held at Columbia University this past weekend. She will be reaching out to youth groups and campus Armenian students associations in the upcoming months to share more information about this program as well as the ANCA’s broad suite of public policy career opportunities.

“Special thanks to the ARS Eastern Region Board for the opportunity to engage with the dynamic student audience at the ARS Youth Connect program this weekend,” said Yerimyan. “We share the ARS’s commitment to empowering our youth to engage more broadly in civic life in order to advance our community’s core priorities. I encourage all interested in working on national issues related to the Armenian Cause to apply to this unique internship, where the camaraderie among interns, staff and the community are part and parcel of the entire experience.”

Established in 1986, and named after the ANCA Eastern U.S. leader Leo Sarkisian, who spearheaded grassroots advocacy for more than four decades, the LSI program is a cornerstone of the ANCA’s nationwide efforts to educate, motivate, and activate Armenian American youth to expand advocacy efforts in their hometowns and campuses. The participants work on a wide variety of projects based on their individual interests, while gaining hands-on experiences within the American political system. A bi-weekly lecture series features guest lecturers, including Members of Congress, Ambassadors, and Armenian-American leaders. During the eight-week Washington, DC program, interns live at The Aramian House, located a short distance from the ANCA National Headquarters.

Applications are reviewed and approved by the ANCA Eastern Region and ANCA Western Region Boards, following careful consideration of individual academic records and demonstrated community or campus leadership on Armenian American concerns.

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