April 28, 2009
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Manoogian-Demirdjian Alumnus Harnesses His Passion for Mountain Climbing and Raises Money for His Alma Mater

  • Raffi Arslanian Jr. (second from left) as he climbs up Mt. A
    Raffi Arslanian Jr. (second from left) as he climbs up Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina.

What started as a casual decision to climb Mt. Whitney in 2007 became a passion for adventurer and AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School Alumnus Raffi Arslanian Jr., as he decided to climb Mt. Aconcagua in the Andes of Western Argentina near the Chilean border, the highest peak in the Americas and fundraise for his alma mater along the way.

Arslanian traveled to Argentina to accomplish what he considered a personal goal. "I wanted to prove that with just a spark of faith in yourself, ordinary people like you and me can overcome major obstacles," Raffi says.

After recognizing his growing interest in mountain climbing, Raffi figured he should harness his passion to make a positive impact on the Armenian community. "I hope to influence other young Armenians to pursue their dreams and perhaps do fundraisers themselves for organizations they believe in. I think it's imperative for everyone to break away from their comfortable environment and explore other countries, peoples, and cultures," he says.

Before his climb, he asked friends and family to sponsor his trek and he was able to raise hundreds of dollars for his alma mater, where his mother works as a pre-school teacher and which his sister also attended.

Arslanian reached the summit of Mt. Aconcagua – a height of 22,841 feet (6,962 meters) -- on Dec. 29, 2008. The money he raised from his climb will benefit MDS and hopefully inspire a new generation of alumni to give back to their local Armenian community.

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