SOAR - South Carolina Chapter
SOAR South Carolina was launched February 2021. Settled by the English in 1670, South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the US constitution in 1788. Its early economy was largely agricultural, benefitting from the area’s fertile soil. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the union in 1861 and was the site of the first shots of the Civil War – the shelling of Fort Sumter by Confederate troops on April 12, 1861. Today, the South Carolina coastline near Myrtle Beach has developed into one of the premiere resort destinations on the East Coast. Famous South Carolinians include musicians James Brown, Chubby Checker and Dizzy Gillespie, novelist Pat Conroy, boxer Joe Frazier, and tennis champion Althea Gibson.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Yeva Mkhoyan
President
Yeva Mkhoyan was born and raised in Vanadzor, Armenia. She moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina when she was 10 years old. Yeva recently graduated from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, with a Bachelors in Psychology and a minor in Political Science. In addition to having worked as a researcher at USC’s Institute of Mind and Brain, and now working as a research assistant at Coastal Carolina University, her passion for volunteering and helping people led her to join SOAR. She looks forward to establishing and expanding SOAR’s mission in the Carolinas in their efforts to help Armenian children.
Rebecca Anais Enfiedjian
Rebecca is an enthusiastic professional who has held a passion for the environment and the creatures within it since her youth. Rebecca received her BA in Political Science and Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) at North Carolina Central University. Both of her degrees focus on government within the public sector, with special regards towards energy management and environmentalism. While obtaining her MPA, Rebecca held two fellowships, one being a Climate Corps Fellow for the Environmental Defense Fund. Upon completion of her degree, Rebecca spent 5 months in Armenia, organized through Birthright Armenia, to assist in environmental and energy matters. Her colleagues have described her as driven, enthusiastic, and relentless in her pursuits. While Rebecca focuses her attention on environmental matters, she has an interest in social welfare issues that plague society. She wishes to use her knowledge and skills in assisting in these matters in order to build towards a better future.