SHERMAN OAKS, Calif.—The C. & E. Merdinian Armenian Evangelical School has appointed Dr. Tzoler Oukayan-Sagherian as the new chair of its Board of Directors. Oukayan-Sagherian, dean of student affairs at Glendale Community College, succeeds Dr. Vahe Nalbandian, who served on the Merdinian School board as chair for 10 years and will continue to serve as an officer of the board in the role of treasurer and chair of the building committee.
The Merdinian School board elected Vatche Terzian, assistant principal at Reseda Charter High School, as the new vice chair of the Board of Directors and chair of the personnel committee. Also elected as officers of the board are Nerses Aposhian, associate treasurer and chair of the finance committee, and Helen Haig, recording secretary. In addition, the board has appointed new committee chairs Chris Cofer (safety), Gareen Darakjian (public relations), and Manny Saghbazarian (curriculum).
Oukayan-Sagherian has worked in post-secondary education for 13 years. After earning a bachelor of arts in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles, she held a teaching role at Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School before returning to GCC to serve in various leadership capacities, including student activities coordinator and program manager of student outreach services. Oukayan-Sagherian is engaged throughout the Armenian-American community, serving in various programs within the AGBU Western District, including scouts and Generation Next. She earned her master of public administration in 2010 and in August 2020 completed a doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of Southern California.
Established in 1982, the C. & E. Merdinian Armenian Evangelical School is the only Armenian Evangelical School in the United States. The school offers a broad-based curriculum that fosters academic excellence, high moral values, and spiritual enrichment in the Armenian Evangelical tradition. The school strives to create a safe and nurturing environment where every student receives personal attention to become a successful and responsible individual.
