Garen Aliksanian
Co-President Garen works as a Sr. Manager of Digital Product at Mattel. As a JD/MBA graduate, Garen's career has spanned a diverse background of positions in fields such as law, marketing, merchandising and eCommerce management. Growing up in Los Angeles, Garen has always been connected to the city's Armenian community. He attended and Graduated from Armenian Mesrobian School, and has volunteered for Armenian organizations including AGBU and the Friends of Armenia, where he serves as a Board Member. In his spare time, Garen enjoys reading, traveling and trying new restaurants!
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Sylvia Duzaryan Manoukian
Co-President Sylvia was born and raised in Los Angeles. As a proud Bruin, Sylvia took advantage of UCLA’s Armenian Studies Program by taking several Armenian language and history classes. During her 2014 graduation, she had the distinguished honor of being the commencement speaker for the general commencement ceremony at Pauley Pavilion. After college, Sylvia started her career as LAFD Foundation’s Marketing Coordinator, and moved on to become a Marketing Associate at JLL in 2016. Currently working for commercial real estate firm, Savills, Sylvia has remained in the industry for the past 6 years, focusing specifically on business development and marketing. Currently, Sylvia is pursuing her MBA degree at CSUN. A lover of stories, Sylvia enjoys reading, watching shows and movies, and creative writing in her free time.
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Luiza Mnatsakanian
Secretary Luiza born and raised in Yerevan, moved to the US when she was 13. She attended UC Irvine. After which she moved to Mississippi to obtain a Master’s in Biological Sciences and a Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine. Currently she is a clinical study coordinator and aspires to be a family medicine physician in the near future. In her spare time she likes hiking and traveling.
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Shooshan Zagaryan
Finance Director Shooshan was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She attended California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, where she pursued her B.S. in Accounting. She began her career in public accounting over 7 years ago at Holthouse Carlin and Van Trigt and is now a Tax Manager at the firm. She is a licensed CPA and also earned her Masters in Business Tax degree from USC’s Leventhal School of Accounting. Shooshan has always valued giving back to the Armenian community. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, reading and attending live sporting events!
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Hayarpi Nersisyan
Events Director Hayarpi was born in Abovyan, Armenia. She immigrated to the United States at the age of eleven. She went on to receive her associates degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Glendale Community College (GCC). She then transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with concentration in Political Theory and a minor in Educational Studies. Hayarpi holds a master’s degree in Counseling with a focus on Student Development in Higher Education from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). Currently she is working on her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. Her research interests include the experiences of Armenian American and Middle Eastern American college students. Professionally, Hayarpi is a tenure-track faculty member at Long Beach City College. In her role she serves as a counselor/coordinator for the First Year Experience Programs, Honors program, teaches student and career development courses, and leads the professional development committee. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her pup Patch, learning to cook Armenian dishes, and traveling.
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Andrew Ekchian
Events Director Andrew Ekchian is an Information Technology Enterprise Architect for the Los Angeles Unified School District who also works part-time for a startup medical device company. He is a TOGAF and Tableau Certified IT professional who specializes in IT and Data Strategy. His interests include martial arts, yoga, improv comedy, working out, church, History, and Political Science.
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Margaret Khachikyan
Membership Director Margaret was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles for her undergraduate studies, earning a B.A. in Economics, International Area Studies. During her undergraduate years, Margaret was involved in various Armenian and community organizations. After graduating UCLA, Margaret joined the Research and Evaluation department at Kaiser Permanente. Shortly thereafter, Margaret pursued graduate studies at University of Southern California where she earned her M.B.A. Currently, Margaret is a Sr. Contracts and Grants Administrator at Kaiser Permanente. She is responsible for negotiating clinical trial contracts and budgets with pharmaceutical companies, which recently include COVID-19 clinical trials. In her spare time, Margaret enjoys hiking, cooking, and traveling.
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Maria Pakhdikian
Mentorship Director Maria C. Pakhdikian is born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine. Upon completion, she went on to obtain a Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences degree at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. This led her to pursue her passion in medicine and attend Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine. During her educational journey, she has been involved in numerous school organizations such as medical brigade trips, being a part of the UCI mentorship program and various educational clubs. In 2018, with a change of heart, she decided to change her career path and leave medical school to work in the field of clinical trials in numerous positions with her last one being a project manager. She is currently taking some time away from work to give back to the Armenian community and pursue other passions in life. On her spare time, she enjoys trying different cultural cuisines and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
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Marissa Bazikian
Communications & Marketing Director Marissa was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She attended the University of California, San Diego for her undergraduate studies, earning a B.A. in Communications and minor in Theatre Arts. Afterwards, she completed her graduate education at the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism earning a Master's in Communication Management. She is currently a Communications Specialist at City National Bank where she writes communication on behalf of senior leaders and executives, and supports the bank's overarching communication goals and strategy. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, watching live shows, and swimming.
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Sam Donabedian
Graduate Student Director Sam was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He attended the University of California, Irvine for his undergraduate studies, earning a B.A. in Criminology, Law and Society. During his time at UCI, Sam was a four-year letter winner in baseball, academic all Big-West Conference, and a member of the UCI 2007 College World Series team. Thereafter, he attended the University of West Los Angeles School of Law for his graduate studies where he graduated with Moot Court Honors and multiple Witkin Awards for Academic Excellence. Currently, he is the founder and shareholder in Donabedian Law, APC a civil litigation firm based in Los Angeles. Aside from his duties as Graduate Student Director, Sam is a member of the Armenian National Committee of America, Los Angeles Triple XXX Armenian Fraternity and Armenian Bar Association.
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Past Presidents
Talar Alexanian
APS President 2021 Talar is working towards ending unsheltered homelessness as the Senior Government Affairs Manager for Pallet. More recently, she was the Director of Public Affairs for Strategies 360 where she managed client strategy across a variety of industries. Prior to consulting, Talar spent years shaping higher education advocacy and policy for the CSU and UC systems. A proud Matador, Talar earned her degree in Journalism and Political Science from Cal State Northridge. At CSUN, Talar was elected twice as Vice President of the student body and was involved in the Armenian Student Association and Alpha Gamma Alpha sorority. A native Angeleno, Talar values civic engagement and giving back to her community. In her spare time, she loves exploring LA’s diverse food scene and traveling the world every chance she gets!
Nerses Aposhian
APS President 2018-2019 Nerses Aposhian was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He attended the University of Southern California for his undergraduate studies and Loyola Law School for his graduate studies. He is the founder of POSH Consulting, where he assists clients with marketing, advertising, business development, and fundraising strategies. He is also the co-host of The Founder Hour podcast. Nerses has been involved in APS since 2017, serving as President in 2018 and 2019. Recently, Nerses joined the Merdinian Armenian Evangelical School's Board of Directors.
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Daniella Girbal
APS President 2020 Daniela is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, but she grew up in Los Angeles. She is a proud Bruin (Class of 2012) and during her time at UCLA she took on leadership roles within the Armenian Students' Association and Alpha Gamma Alpha. She earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University in 2018 and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Daniela is a College and Academic Counselor at St. Monica Catholic High School and truly loves the St. Monica Catholic Community, as she attended both elementary and high school there. Additionally, she is a therapist at a group private practice, Best Me Psychotherapy in Culver City. Daniela has been involved in APS since 2018, serving as President in 2020.
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