SOAR - Washington, DC Metro Chapter
The Washington, DC Metro chapter became part of the SOAR family in April 2008 and spans the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland. The Armenian community in Washington, DC. grew as the Federal Government assumed a larger role in domestic and international affairs. Particularly after the Second World War, the Armenian community in the Nation’s Capital and surrounding areas has grown steadily. Today, well over eight thousand Armenians live in the area and are engaged in diverse professional and academic activities.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Diana Boyadjian
President
Diana Boyadjian is a proud first-generation Armenian-American and descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors who spent their youth together in an orphanage in Aleppo, Syria, eventually bringing their families together stateside in 1966 where her parents met as children. Born in Rhode Island, Diana has lived and worked in the UK, France, and in various cities across the US, including San Francisco, Miami, Boston, Providence, and Washington, DC. A Harvard University graduate, Diana currently resides on Capitol Hill, where she is a government affairs and strategic communications executive working at the intersection of technology and the public interest.
Diana Akopyan
Director of Communications
Diana Akopyan is an experienced Content and Social Media Marketing professional with 5 years of experience driving strategic initiatives across Marketing, Digital Marketing, and Marketing Strategy. She received her BA in Linguistics and Intercultural Communication from Moscow State University and a Diploma in Content Marketing and is currently working on her MS in Marketing at the Kogod School of Business. Diana has been involved in various Armenian initiatives – from volunteering through Birthright Armenia at IDeA, Aurora Prize, and Repat Armenia to working at Tourism and Urbanism Foundation in Dilijan.
Carina Melcon Arzoumanian
Carina was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from the American University of Beirut. She moved to Connecticut in June 2021 with her husband and is working in Recruitment and Talent Acquisition.
Carina is fluent in Armenian, English, Arabic and French – and is currently learning Spanish.
She enjoys reading, traveling, and yoga.
Laura Boyajian
Originally from Philadelphia, Laura attended the University of Maryland, earning two B.A.s—in Psychology and Disability & Advocacy Studies—and a minor in Nonprofit Leadership & Social Innovation. After finishing undergrad, Laura spent a year abroad in Armenia as a Fulbright Grantee, teaching English to university students and children in rural villages. She also supported mental health initiatives for individuals recovering from PTSD and war-related trauma. Laura has extensive experience working alongside people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and is the membership and volunteer manager at Main Street Connect, a nonprofit that provides affordable, inclusive, and accessible housing to people of all abilities.
Lia Geondzhyan
Lia is a Business Analyst, she has experience with various financial systems analysis, budgeting, process improvements and requirements gathering. She has passion for analytical work, and she has resourceful problem-solving abilities. Additionally, she works across many teams to develop proactive solutions to improve overall business process. She is passionate about coming up with creative solutions to meet complex customer requirements and seeks to continue meeting the mission requirements of customers.
Anahit Gevorgyan
Pic and Bio coming soon
Tatev Gomtsyan
Tatev Gomtsyan was born in Gyumri, Armenia and currently resides in Virginia. She is a graduating student of the University of Virginia, where she studies Global Public Health and Data Science. Her interests lie in nutrition, maternal health, disability rights, and reproductive justice. She is grateful to join SOAR and contribute to impactful work in her community.
Jacqueline Hahamyan
Jacqueline Hahamyan grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and was born to two Armenian parents. Having just graduated from Belmont University with a Business Analytics degree in May of 2023, she spent the following 3 months doing a program in Yerevan called Birthright Armenia, a program devoted to reconnecting Armenian Diaspora with the homeland. After completion of Birthright, she started a job as a project analyst with Deloitte Consulting in Nashville. Jacqueline is passionate about helping others and learning about different languages, cultures, and customs. She holds her Armenian identity very near and dear to her heart and is always looking for ways to give back to the Armenian community. Eager to learn anything she can grasp on to, she listens to Armenian podcasts and reads books in Armenian in order to do her part in preserving the language and culture of her homeland. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, pickleball, engaging in meaningful conversations, and exploring new coffee shops.
Anna Manukyan
Anna is a professional in the international development sector leading teams through navigating and adopting effective and innovative compliant and fit-for-purpose project management practices and financial and operational systems to bring transformative and lasting impact at scale. She has more than twenty years of experience supporting International NGOs by driving business priorities from conception to completion.
Dr. Mariam Melkumyan
Mariam was born in Yerevan, Armenia and moved to Maryland in 2013, where she completed her high school and undergraduate degree in Neuroscience. Mariam received her dual-title PhD in Neuroscience and Clinical and Translational sciences at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Mariam is now a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institutes of Health. Mariam aims to improve mental healthcare and understanding of neuroscience in Armenia after she becomes an established scientist. Mariam tries to be involved in Armenian community, and has been the president of the Armenian student association at her undergraduate institution, American University, in Washington, DC. Outside of her studies, Mariam enjoys playing with her cat, doing jigsaw puzzles, playing mini-golf and board games, and going on walks. Mariam is very excited to be part of the SOAR Washington DC chapter and the Armenian community in the area.
Yeva Mkhoyan
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.
Dr. Mikael Petrosyan
Dr. Mikael Petrosyan attended the University of Southern California as an undergraduate, obtained his medical degree at Chicago Medical School and completed his residency at LA County Hospital + University of Southern California. During his residency he also completed a two-year Pediatric Surgery Research Fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. He completed his Clinical Pediatric Surgery fellowship at Children’s National Hospital and was recruited as a faculty member. He also able to obtained MBA from George Washington University. Dr. Petrosyan is currently the program director for Pediatric Surgery Fellowship and Associate Chief of General and Thoracic Pediatric Surgery at Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC.
Lusine Stepanyan
Lusine is originally from Yerevan, Armenia. In 2015, she founded a school of languages and professional development in Yerevan and has about five years of management experience. She has a Master’s degree in International Development Policy from Duke University. For the past two years, she worked as a consultant for the World Bank in Washington, DC.
Torgom Zatikian
Torgom Zatikian was born in Saratov, Russia. Torgom holds master’s degree in International Affairs: Global Governance, Politics, and Security with a concentration in state-building and Eurasian affairs from the American University School of International Service in Washington, D.C. He also studied in Russia, Austria, and China. Torgom’s research on global governance solutions was published by the Geneva Graduate Institute. He has four years of experience in the non-governmental sector and think tanks, focusing on global politics, international institutions, and education. Torgom speaks English, Russian, Armenian, is fluent in Ukrainian and German, and is learning Spanish.
Volunteers:
Dr. Gagik Karapetyan
Tania Odabashian
Haykuhi Sekhposyan