Anahit (Anna) Samarjianl received her Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Communication Studies and International Studies with a minor in French. Ana’s accomplishments and breath of service are quite remarkable. The President’s Scholar has been awarded a Fulbright Student Grant for the 2007-08 academic year and will spend 10 months conducting research on malaria prevention and education programs in Ghana, West Africa. After she returns, she plans to attend law school.
Last September, she co-founded Netting Nations, a non-profit organization that distributes insecticide-treated mosquito nets to people in countries with high rates of malaria transmission. Ana also completed a summer internship at the United Nations in New York and tutored at-risk students at Long Beach’s Jordan High School.
Anahit Samarjian designated Amy Heyse, Professor of Communication Studies Department, as her most valuable professor. In Ana’s words “Amy has been by far one of my most important teachers. In my first year with Amy, I took Persuasive Speaking, my first Communication class with Amy my freshman year. The way she spoke about speaking really convinced me to declare a major in Communication Studies. I had Amy again as a senior, and although much had changed in my life, Amy’s ability to capture my attention and keep me thinking about important topics in class had not. I thank her for the influence she had on me studying Communications and for always being kind, understanding, and keeping me interested in and curious about learning”.
Lady Ivory Chua , an undergraduate, she has conducted substantial research with extensive community service. Earning a cumulative 4.0 GPA, Lady Ivory qualified for the department’s prestigious program called Career Opportunities in Research, a federally funded program; and was chosen as one of the few peer advisers. Lady Ivory conducted independent research at Yale University last summer. The Frances Degen Horowitz Millennium Scholar gave presentations at numerous conferences in Virginia, Georgia, and California. Her volunteer activities include working with persons with schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. Also, she’s a trained paraprofessional volunteer at the Southeast Area Counseling Center and is a certified facilitator for women’s domestic violence groups.
Lady Ivory Chua designated William Pedersen, Associate Professor of the Psychology Department, as her most valuable professor. In Lady Ivory’s words, “Having Dr. Pedersen as my research supervisor while being in the Career Opportunities and Research (COR) Program has been a challenging and rewarding experience. In terms of my research project, we both worked efficiently together in getting me to achieve my goals for each semester. He always challenged me to expand my knowledge and look at the big picture. Dr. Pedersen strives for perfection in all that he does, and he inspires many of his students to aim for perfection in our own work. His teaching style provides a conducive environment where students could share and challenge each other’s ideas in a professional manner. For the students who have gotten to know Dr. Pedersen, we appreciate the time he gives to help us in our academic career. I would say that the difference Dr. Pedersen makes speaks volumes about him as a person, and I am honored to be able to recognize him as my MVP.
