March 23, 2011

On March 16, 2011, the Toronto Chapter of the Armenian General Benevolent Union held its annual scholarship awards reception at the Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre. This year’s recipients were Daron Bedrosyan, Knar Deherian, Michelle Deherian, Tamar Istanbul, Sareen Khatchadourian, Saro Khatchadourian, Tamar Makdessian, Jason Sarafian, Alisha Shahmirian, Anashe Shahmirian, Jivan Stepanian, and Khatchadour Wanes.
Chapter Chairwoman Ms. Knar Basmadjian, Board Members Dr. Isa Basmajian and Mrs. Kathy Sakarya, and Executive Director Salpi Derghazarian welcomed and congratulated the recipients on their achievements. The scholarship recipients talked about their ongoing education and future plans. Board members introduced the recipients to AGBU’s worldwide humanitarian programs, Youth Programs and ongoing activities at the Toronto Chapter.
The AGBU Education Department bases its decisions on the students’ academic achievements, the caliber of the institution at which they are enrolled, and their display of community service. Furthermore, their potential for success and contributions to the Armenian people and nation are of important value, and consider these as part of the selection criteria. The hope is that our scholarship recipients will assist AGBU in accomplishing its mission in their own capacity. We express our heartiest congratulations to the awardees.
Providing educational support to Armenians has been an integral part of AGBU’s mission since its founding in 1906. For more than 80 years, the AGBU Scholarship Program, through endowment funds established by generous donors, has contributed toward the higher education of thousands of promising young Armenians enrolled in leading colleges and universities in close to 40 countries across five continents. Today, through its AGBU Fellowship Program and added focus on specialized fields of study, such as the performing arts and religious studies, the AGBU Scholarship Program offers financial assistance to a broader range of Armenian students around the world. In return, many of them contribute to their communities through various programs, such as AGBU’s Young Professionals.

Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world’s largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural, and humanitarian programs, annually touching the lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit www.agbu.org.