On a ridiculously hot July 1, 2001, Armen was born in Houston, Texas, just weeks after a tropical storm that shut down most of the city, including the medical center. After spending eleven years in the much quieter and temporally-balanced town of Princeton, New Jersey, he now considers Boston home, living in West Roxbury and now Back Bay with his parents and three older siblings. He attended the Princeton Charter School in NJ, St. Theresa’s Academy, and now attends BLS.
Armen can usually be found in one of three places outside of school – at the Copley library, Boston City Hall, or in the middle of the Charles River. A first-generation Armenian-American, he learned through his parents and siblings examples to develop a strong work ethic and dedication to his school work, leading him to spend most of his free time with his books. Armen’s community inspired him to run for and join the Mayor’s Youth Council, a select group of 85 students in Boston who act as advisers on city policies and decisions. This past year, Armen served as the Director of the Arts and Culture Committee on the council, through which he helped facilitate a city-wide Culture Day celebration. Finally, a notice in the BLS Parents Newsletter with the key words “no experience necessary” prompted him to join the BLS Boys Crew Team as an inaugural member in 8th grade. He advanced to the varsity team in his Freshman year, and since then any calls to Armen’s cell phone between 5:00 and 7:30pm during the school year lead straight to voicemail as he rows with his teammates along the Charles. He looks forward to continuing crew in his senior year and potentially in college.
In addition to Armen’s passion for public service, he finds an equal and related passion for journalism. Armen joined the school newspaper, The Argo, in 8th grade and is now in his second year as the Head Sports Editor. Under his leadership, the Sports section received an honorable mention in the Greater Boston High School Newspaper Contest, with the newspaper winning 1st place overall. In his tenure, he quickly learned that good journalism relies on the writers’ pursuits of truth and honesty, and these values should never be compromised.
This summer, Armen is working alongside Jack McCarthy, director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority. As a resident of Boston, a member of the youth council, and advocate for this classmates, Armen has seen first-hand how government planning, budgeting, and decisions create a direct impact on educational opportunities and experiences. He is excited and grateful to be working with Mr. McCarthy and his team this summer to gain experience in the intersection of city policy development and implementation in the education system. He especially looks forward to using this opportunity to create a positive impact in his local community.