August 21, 2019
On August 7, 2019 the AGBU Los Angeles Media Internship Program (LAMIP) concluded its third successful year. Interns along with their families, supervisors from the host companies, and AGBU Western District board members gathered at the AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Performing Arts Center for the closing ceremony.
Suzanna Sargsyan, the program manager, kicked off the evening with opening remarks thanking the interns and hosts for their participation in this unique summer program, which has, over the last two years, shown proven results of professional development for students from universities across the nation. Tzoler Oukayan, AGBU Western District board member, echoed Sargsyan’s words and highlighted the numerous opportunities AGBU can provide for the interns beyond this program; enumerating the AGBU scholarships, the global Young Professionals network, and the six other internship programs around the world, among endless volunteer opportunities with the Western District.
Each intern was introduced and awarded a certificate of completion. The interns were overwhelmingly pleased with the program, sharing sentiments of wishing the program could have been longer. Ani Vartani, an intern at IMN Creative, a notable post production company expressed, “I wish we had more time together. I loved everyone I met and the whole experience was just amazing. This was an unforgettable summer!”
The cohort and guests celebrated the conclusion of a successful summer with dance lessons, led by Sargsyan, for traditional Armenian dances including the “shoorj par” and “shalaxo.”
Over the course of eight weeks, interns were challenged on the job and learned new technical and soft skills including adobe software, social media marketing tools, office operations, networking, among other valuable skills they will be able to directly apply when entering the workforce. Workshops focusing on professional development, cultural events, and social outings were hosted weekly. Professional development topics covered resume building, elevator pitches, LinkedIn, and featured noteworthy guests for a career advice panel discussion. The interns also had the opportunity to tour the Warner Bros. Studio and worked as a team to victoriously escape from Exit Artists Escape Rooms. “The workshops were most enjoyable and the friends that I made were incredible people” shared Sabrina Katarjian, Intern at Dogbone Studios.
AGBU LAMIP Program Manager Suzanna Sargsyan (center) with 2019 interns
The Los Angeles Media Internship Program focuses on matching college students with internships that challenge them and teach them more about the various sectors of the media and entertainment industry. Participants are selected from various universities and come from different backgrounds covering a myriad of majors. Hasmineh Sinani, another intern who was matched with Dogbone Studios expressed “I am extremely glad I applied to the program. It opened many doors for me and now I have an idea about the type of career paths I want to take and know what industries I fit in.”
LAMIP aims to provide students with industry knowledge by giving them an inside look into these industries and by providing an unparalleled learning experience throughout the summer. More information for potential host companies and interns can be found by visiting agbuwd.org/LAMIP. Interested companies and students may also reach the AGBU Western District office via phone at 626-794-7942, or via email at: internship@agbuca.org.
Applications for the Summer 2020 program are open and can be found at: agbuwd.org/lamip
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The Western District would like to thank all of the interns, hosts, and guest speakers for making this summer special for these spectacular interns.
Interns:
Ani Vartani – IMN Creative, Inc.
David Estephanian – The Armenian Report
Eric Khachian – Free Radical
Hasmineh Sinani – Dogbone Studios
Lynette Aslanian – Aris
Sabrina Katarjian – Dogbone Studios
Simone Puglia – NBCUniversal