On May 14, the Armenian Studies Program at the University of California Berkeley celebrated the graduation of four Armenian Studies minors: Thalia Lori Colarian, Arpine Sinani, Hrag Kyle Kassabian, and Julia Sarieva. Students minoring in Armenian Studies take Armenian history, literature, and language courses. Parents of the students as well as Cal Armenian Alumni were present at the celebration.
2024 Armenian Studies Graduates with Parents and Faculty
Celia Karian (graduate of 1982) and Christina Moughamian (graduate of 1973) presented two awards on behalf of the Armenian Alumni. The first of these, the Hrayr Terzian Award for Academic Excellence in Armenian Studies went to Thalia Lori Colarian, who graduated this year with a major in English and a double minor in Armenian studies and data science. While at Cal, she took a total of eight Armenian studies courses in language, modern literature, film, and history from antiquity to the medieval period. She performed very well in all her classes and demonstrated intellectual growth through her four years in the Armenian Studies Program.
A second Award for Excellence in Research in Armenian Studies was awarded to Hrachia George Kasabyan who is graduating with a double major in ancient Greek and Roman studies and political science. He completed an honors senior thesis titled "Controlling the Narrative: Re-Examining Myths of Armenia's Conversion to Christianity" that explores the reasons behind the different narratives of the adoption of Christianity in the writings of early medieval Armenian authors, such as Movses Khorenatsi and Agathangelos. The thesis applied excellent historical analysis; it was very well-researched and well-written. Hrachia Kasabyan’s academic achievements were also recognized by Phi Beta Kappa, and he received Departmental Honors and the Chair’s Book Prize from the Department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies.
Armenian Alumni Christina Moughamian and Celia Karian
with Awardees Hrachia Kasabyan and Thalia Kolarian