The New York Summer Internship Program (NYSIP) Welcomes Interns to the AGBU Central Office

On June 15, AGBU welcomed 24 interns to the AGBU Central Office for the start of the New York Summer Internship Program (NYSIP). Hailing from Armenia, Lebanon, Turkey, the United States and beyond, the interns will spend their summer building their brand, contributing to their professional development and enhancing their involvement in the Armenian community.

This year, the interns will be working in various industries and at prestigious companies and organizations, including Columbia Medical Center, the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations, AXA Advisors, Mirrorball, SnackBare.com, and TheMedNet.org, among many others. Liana Varjabedian, a rising junior at Marquette University, is interning at Michael Kors and looking forward to an exciting summer ahead: “It's not every day that you are surrounded by such self-motivated, intelligent and well-rounded people. This summer has already changed my life.”

The program is filled with professional development workshops, trips to New York City landmarks, dinners in iconic neighborhoods and outdoor movie screenings throughout the city. The calendar was put together by the NYSIP team, led by NYSIP Program Associate Christina Lalama. “This is my very first summer with the program and I can’t wait to see how each intern grows professionally and personally over the next eight weeks,” said Christina.

The activities coordinators, Kiersten Johnston and Carin Kellzi, are another essential part of the NYSIP team. Both alumnae of AGBU summer internship programs, Kiersten and Carin arrived in New York brimming with enthusiasm for the summer.

Carin, a native of California, earned her joint master’s degree this year in public health and business administration from Claremont Graduate University. In 2011, she interned with the Yerevan Summer Internship Program (YSIP) at a hospital where she shadowed a cardiologist and saw the Armenian healthcare system in action: “The main reason why I came back to AGBU as an activities coordinator was because of the enriching experience I had during my YSIP summer. I wanted to be part of giving other students a similarly great experience.”

Kiersten, a 2012 NYSIP alumna, is a recent graduate of Fordham University with a bachelor’s degree in English and communications. She interned at the Diocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern) in the communications department. “What I loved so much about NYSIP was the unique Armenian environment where you feel at home and surrounded by people challenging you to be the best you can be.” Kiersten is also an aspiring writer and working on an adventure novella in her spare time.

NYSIP focuses on civic engagement, building relationships and fostering ties within the Armenian community. Since 1999, NYSIP has benefited from a partnership with the Young Professionals of Greater New York (YPGNY) group. The most significant component of this partnership is the mentoring program that pairs each intern with a YP working in his or her field of interest. Mentors provide guidance and act as role models, meeting several times throughout the summer, in groups and individually, to discuss various topics relating to their fields of expertise.

Throughout the summer, both interns and coordinators will stay true to the summer’s motto: Make every opportunity count!  “AGBU has played a major role in my life. Many of my close friends and family members participated in NYSIP in previous years and they all had great experiences. I wanted to be a part of such a great program,” said Yervaughnt Yetenekian, a rising junior at Indiana University, who is interning this summer at AXA Advisors.

The New York Summer Internship Program was established in 1987 and has growing network of approximately 900 alumni. For over 25 years, NYSIP has hosted interns from 21 countries in virtually every professional field and given high-achieving university students valuable work experience to help them lay a solid foundation for their professional success.

For more information on NYSIP, please visit http://agbu-internship.org/nysip/.