WATERTOWN — A crowd of about 450 friends and supporters of St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School (SSAES) gathered on March 12 at the Sorenson Center for the Arts at Babson College in Wellesley to celebrate the school’s 30th anniversary. The celebration, presided over by Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of Eastern United States, raised approximately $150,000 to support the school’s endowment fund.
The outpouring of love and support expressed for the school was a testament to the role that this educational institution holds in the Armenian community of Greater Boston.
The anniversary celebration started with a cocktail reception which gave parents, alumni and friends the opportunity to mingle and reconnect. Then, the attendees were invited into the auditorium where the program was introduced by master of ceremonies and SSAES Alum Tamar Kanarian (Class of 1994), who welcomed everyone and reflected on her own journey at the school.
The program began with an invocation by Choloyan, followed by a touching testimonial from Alum Ani Nalbandian Attamian (Class of 1992), who had flown from London for the occasion.
In her remarks, the school’s principal of 28 years, Houry Boyamian, paid tribute to the school founders, to past and present members of the school board and committees, the St. Stephen’s Church pastor, Rev. Antranig Baljian and its Board of Trustees, as well as, to the administrative and teaching staff. She thanked the 30th Anniversary Committee, headed by Sarkis Ourfalian, for their work to make this a memorable event. She also expressed her gratitude to the local Armenian organizations, as well as, to past and present donors and benefactors of the school for their generosity and continued support.
In her speech, Boyamian noted, “From the early days of the School, we were aware of the challenge facing us. In a region that is home to some of the best educational institutions in the nation, an Armenian school would have to offer an excellent education in order to thrive and meet the demands of a modern American society, all the while preserving and maintaining our Armenian culture and heritage.