August 21, 2019
On Friday, August 16, 2019, the Lazar Najarian-Calouste Gulbenkian School alumni gathered for their annual summer night event at the AGBU Bardez in Pasadena, CA. The annual event, which has been taking place every year for the last 20 years, was a huge success with over 200 attendees present. Among the attendees were visitors from Aleppo with fresh tales of the resurgence of the Armenian Community after the long war and alumni from the esteemed educational establishment with their families. Graduates from the last six decades huddled together in their circles reminiscing memories and stories from the best school days over a bowl of homemade harissa; the popular Armenian dish was prepared by Maral Seraydarian-Boyajian and many young volunteers.
As the sun set that evening and the sweet aroma of harissa filled the air, a line was formed through Bardez towards a table with all the spices and melted butter. The new Chair of the Alumni Association, Silva Boynerian-Nazaretian, welcomed the members, their families and guests along with providing a report on the school’s current situation. She thanked the volunteers and extended a special thank you to Maral Seraydarian-Boyajian for her hard work and amazing recipe. She also encouraged the attendees to support a project by the AGBU-AYA Girl Scouts, which will help them obtain their Silver medal by raising funds for the school.
Chair of the Alumni Association, Silva Boynerian-Nazaretian
Lazar Najarian-Calouste Gulbenkian School was recognized as the winner of the “Best Armenian Educational Institution” contest in 2010. The outlook is positive for the future of the school, which will be celebrating its 65th anniversary this year. The anniversary celebration is planned for Saturday, October 12, 2019 to honor the legacy of the school and its benefactors.