Featured Alumni

Paul Poghos Iskajyan

Class of 2014

Mesrobian Class of 2014 Alumnus Paul Poghos Iskajyan is in Washington DC interning with Congressman Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34).

While a student at Mesrobian School, Paul served as Montebello City Youth Commissioner and held elected office in the Junior Statesmen of America, all in addition to a term as President of the Mesrobian ASB.

He went on to UC Berkeley upon graduation, where he studied Political Science and continued working within student government. Keep up the great work beyond Mesrobian, Paul!

Source: Facebook

Richard Elden

Class of 1992

Mesrobian Alumnus Richard Elden (Class of 1992), whose company dbest products, Inc. was recently featured on ABC’s Shark Tank in February, will be the keynote speaker at Mesrobian's 2017 Commencement.

Upon graduating from Mesrobian High School, Richard earned his undergraduate degree from USC, an MBA from Pepperdine University, and then went on to study at Oxford University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Source: Facebook

Dr. Katherine Fundukian-Thorossian

Class of 1980

On Wednesday, June 26th, the Monrovia Unified School District Board of Education approved the appointment of Dr. Katherine Fundukian-Thorossian as Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Fundukian-Thorossian will begin her duties on Monday July 1st.

Dr. Fundukian-Thorossian is currently serving as Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the Glendale Unified School District. She has served in this position since July 2008. Prior to that, she was the Principal of Glendale High School from 2005 to 2008. From 1995 to 2005, Dr. Fundukian-Thorossian served as an Assistant Principal and Counselor at Diamond Bar High School in the Walnut Valley Unified School District. She also taught English in grades 9-12 at Diamond Bar High School from 1986 to 1995.

Dr. Fundukian-Thorossian earned her Doctor of Education Degree from the University of Southern California in 2009. She also earned a Master of Science Degree in Counseling from California State University Los Angeles in 1986 and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1984.

She also completed the Association of California School Administrators’ Superintendent’s Academy in 2009.
Some of her honors include the Davidian Mariamian Educational Foundation Educator of the Year in January 2012 and the Glendale Council of Parent-Teacher Association’s Honorary Service Award in January 2011. In 2009 she was awarded the Armenian-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles’ Women in Business Excellence award.

Dr. Fundukian-Thorossian is an active member of the Association of California School Administrators. She has also served as a YMCA Board Member, and is affiliated with the Sunrise Rotary International of Glendale, the Glendale Healthy Kids Board, and the Glendale Adventist Hospital Civic Advisory Board.

Source: Asbarez

Dr. Saro Manoukian

Class of 1999

The proud Mesrobian Lifer and Valedictorian of the Class of 1999, earned his MD degree from New York Medical College in 2009, his Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University, Washington, DC in 2005, and his Bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology (minor in Music) from the University of California, Berkeley in 2003. He has also done post-graduate training with UCLA Medical Center Los Angeles, Saint Vincent Hospital in Massachusetts, and Alameda County Medical Center.

Source: Facebook 

Dr. Boris Bagdasarian

Dr. Bagdasarian was born and raised in Montebello, California and attended the Armenian Mesrobian School. He continued his undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California. His medical school training was conducted at the Western University of Health Sciences where he graduated Magna Cum laude. Dr. Bagdasarian was chief resident in Internal Medicine at the White Memorial Medical Center and continued to specialize in Hematology, Oncology and Bone marrow transplantation at the renowned City of Hope National Medical Center and UCLA where he was chief fellow.

Dr. Bagdasarian was recognized among the top oncologists in the United States by the Scientific Research Council of America from 2007-2010. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at USC. Dr. Bagdasarian is actively involved in cancer research, in which he has been the principle investigator and co-investigator of numerous publications. Dr. Bagdasarian continues to serve the medical community as Oncology consultant for the media, appearing on ABC, CBS and CNN news.

Source: http://www.lacancernetwork.com/doctors/

Arpi Krikorian

Class of 1989

Arpi was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Her family escaped the Lebanese Civil war in 1978 and migrated to the U.S. where she started attending Armenian Mesrobian School as a second grader. In 9th grade, Mesrobian's art teacher, Miss Vogner encouraged her to take art classes at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena (ACCD) . Arpi spent the next four years attending ACCD's High School program on Saturdays where she built her portfolio and fell in love with creating art. Arpi was a very active student. She played volleyball her high school career and served as Mesrobian's Student Body President her Senior year. She also graduated as her class Salutatorian.

Arpi was accepted into ACCD's undergraduate program two months after graduating from Mesrobian in 1989 where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Illustration in 1992. She freelanced as an illustrator for several years and then accepted a full time position as a storyboard revisionist on the animated show Angry Beavers at Nickelodeon Animation Studios. At Nickelodeon, she also freelanced for the TV shows, CatDog, Hey Arnold, Dora the Explorer and Oswald the Octopus. Arpi's current venture is her art business where she manufactures merchandise featuring her Armenian themed illustrations. In a short two year span, she has gained an international following and is currently in the development stage of an animated movie called Sosse and the Daredevils of Sassoun of which she's the creator and one of the Executive Producers. Arpi lives in Pasadena with her high school sweetheart husband and two beautiful daughters.

You can find her products and follow her journey at www.arpikrikorian.com

Arpi Krikorian Inspires Students at Alma Mater Mesrobian. Asbarez February 18, 2016

John Gabriel

Class of 1996

For over two decades Gabriel's fascination with the art of illusion has made him a spectacle to watch live on stage and network television. By adding his fresh take on this ancient art, Gabriel's Magic Redefined fuses the old caliber of magic with the new prestige.

Throughout his progressive career he has put his magic to work, successfully raising over $500,000 for various nonprofit organizations. John's imagination enables him to master illusions that have never been attempted before in the history of magic. His most celebrated illusion is called Watertight in which he risks his life onstage submerged in 2000 pounds of water. Gabriel's destiny in magic is definite as he is driven to continue creating new approaches to the art of magic, theatre and film.

source: www.johngabrielmagic.com

Sona Movsesian

Class of 2000

Sona Movsesian from Conan O'Brien Presents: Team Coco returned to her Alma Mater, Armenian Mesrobian School, to discuss her recent visit to Armenia with Conan O’Brien.

Movsesian was greeted with cheers and applause when she walked into an assembly of Mesrobian High School students. They had the opportunity to ask her questions and share their reflections on the episode.

“I don’t think anything compares to seeing Ararat for the first time. It’s like a painting, it’s so beautiful,” remarked Movsesian.