The Hamazkayin San Francisco Nigol Aghpalian Chapter on May 2 organized an online teacher appreciation day. The guests of honor were Houri Boyamian, principal of the St. Stephen's Armenian Elementary School in Watertown, Mass., Grace Andonian, principal of the Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan Armenian School in San Francisco, and Hasmig Babian, head Armenian language teacher at the A.R.S. Armenian School in Toronto. The program was facilitated by Lena Manoukian, chair of the Hamazkayin chapter.
It emerged from the conversation that the two principals had studied science in university. Both were graduates of the Hamazkayin Nishan Palandjian Jemaran in Lebanon. Ms. Boyamian graduated from Saint Joseph University of Beirut as a pharmacist; Ms. Andonian graduated with honors from the American University of Beirut with a degree in chemistry. Both ended up in the United States in the 1980s as a result of the civil war in Lebanon.
Ms. Babian is a graduate of the Levon and Sophia Hagopian Armenian National College in Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon. She received her education in Armenian studies at the Saint Joseph University, teaching at the same time at the Hripsimiantz College in Lebanon.