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Harut Sassounian

Harut Sassounian

California Courier Editor
Harut Sassounian is the publisher of The California Courier, a weekly newspaper based in Glendale, Calif. He is the president of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, a non-profit organization that has donated to Armenia and Artsakh one billion dollars of humanitarian aid, mostly medicines, since 1989 (including its predecessor, the United Armenian Fund). He has been decorated by the presidents of Armenia and Artsakh and the heads of the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic churches. He is also the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

11 Comments

  1. God bless Ms. Balian and all of the Ms. Balians still out there and yet to come. Never underestimate the incredible power of a good deed or even the motivational encouragement can have on impressionable youngsters in our community.

  2. An incredibly uplifting story. A role model who influenced your life and in turn the life of many others. A great example for young people searching for mentors.

  3. Yes! I have heard this story from Mr. Sassounian himself when I had the pleasure meeting him when he was visiting our country at a friends home. It makes me very happy and sad at the same time on a personal level. How lucky for Mr. Sassounian that there was a teacher who was not only a professional person but also someone with a heart. I wonder how many of my generation were left out of normal education because their parents could not afford to pay their children’s school fees called “gertatoshag”. Sixty Lebanese pounds in those days for a year. I was one of those, and a very smart kid, taken out of school at the year four primary at a tender age of ten only to become a street kid selling Chewing gum to support the family. Later, I tried to become a shoe maker but was not able to become one. A musician but not a professional. My heart was in education. There were no Valerie Balians in my school to notice me. I have to wait another Forty years to be able to go to university with a big challenge and a huge struggle. I was fifty three years old to finish a degree and going back to university second time at sixty one and finishing another bachelor and a masters degree in Psychology/Psychotherapy. Consistency and determination paid off. Many of my generation missed out. It is very sad, because I know there were kids who were smarter than myself who’s parents could not pay as well. In the field that I work now, I encourage people never to give up and pursue the purpose that they are born for. Lucky for you Mr. Harut Sassounian that there was a teacher such as Ms. Balian who had the heart to care and to know the talents of her students. Teachers make or break the future of their students. Heart warming story indeed.

  4. God bless Ms. Olivia Balian and people who are as generous as she is.
    It is with those hidden, amazing, and thoughtful donors that humanity is celebrated.

  5. Thank you Harut for such a touching story. As a retired educator I know how deeply a teacher can inspire and bring out the best in a student. Brava to your teacher and to you to never forgot her kindness and pay it forward!

  6. Thank you for sharing this touching story Mr Sassounian. Speaking of the Lincy foundation, it is unfortunate that Mr Kerkorian also went through a similar situation in his youth but did not get the necessary help from our community. Can’t help but wonder how much help we lost as a result over the years. But luckily, he came back to his culture a little bit, but things could have been so much better, no need to elaborate further. These are important life lessons.

  7. There was a famous saying that would apply to you and Ms Balian…”To the world you may be one person….but to one person, you may be the world”. God Bless you for sharing this with us!!!

  8. Ms. Olivia Balian, she was indeed a unique teacher; was very attentive to her pupils’ education/advancement and emotional well being. God bless her.

  9. God bless her soul, she was my teacher too, she always had a beautiful smile when she entered the classroom. We loved her accent

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