Diocese Welcomes Summer Interns

The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) is pleased to announce that two interns—Kiersten Johnston and Maral Firkatian Wozniak—have joined the Diocesan team for an eight-week summer program.

The interns will assist with projects in the Diocese's Communications Department and the Fund for Armenian Relief. In addition, they will take part in a spiritual and educational program, which includes morning prayer, Bible-study sessions, weekly lunch meetings with area clergy, and Armenian-language instruction.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Diocesan Primate, and members of the Diocesan Council welcomed the interns to the Diocese on Tuesday, June 26. "It's wonderful to have young people who are interested in learning about our church join our Diocesan family for the summer months," Archbishop Barsamian said. "The internship program is a good opportunity for participants to build on their skills while gaining a deeper understanding of their faith and a familiarity with the operations of the Diocesan Center."

Kiersten Johnston, 18, of St. Leon Church of Fair Lawn, N.J., will work in the Communications Department, where she will write for the Diocesan e-newsletter, blog, and website, and learn about video production.

An English and communications major at Fordham University in New York, Kiersten attends services at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in Manhattan during the academic year. She has volunteered for the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, where she helped build a house in a village in the Armavir region.

This summer she hopes to learn more about her heritage. "An internship with the Armenian Diocese seemed unique," she said. "I liked the idea of a work environment immersed in an Armenian atmosphere."    

Maral Firkatian Wozniak, 22, will intern with the Fund for Armenian Relief, where she will write articles and blog posts about the organization's programs in Armenia. She also will do writing for the Department of Christian Education.

Maral hails from Bloomfield, Conn., and attends the nearby St. Stephen Church. A graduate of the University of Hartford, Maral studied creative writing and minored in French. She is a member of her local church choir, and has taken part in Camp Hayastan and the Eastern Prelacy's Datev Institute.

"I want to give back to the community that has always supported me and made me feel like I was part of something," she said. "I am eager to not only strengthen my own relationship with my Armenian roots, but to help others do so as well."

Nancy Basmajian, executive secretary of the ACYOA, is overseeing the summer program, which the Diocese offers annually in partnership with the Armenian General Benevolent Union. Kiersten and Maral are living in student housing at New York University, along with some 30 summer interns participating in the AGBU internship program. They will join AGBU interns for several educational, cultural, and social activities throughout the summer.

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Photo attached: Kiersten Johnston (left) and Maral Firkatian Wozniak with Archbishop Khajag Barsamian at the Diocesan Center.

PublicRelations [publicrelations@armeniandiocese.org]