WATERTOWN — Garine Palandjian is preparing to begin her second year as principal of St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School (SSAES) this fall; she succeeded Houry Boyamian, who had been principal for 35 years.
In a recent interview, Palandjian said she hopes to weave together the traditions of the past while moving the school into the future as it approaches its 40th anniversary, which will be celebrated with a gala this fall.
“This community is lucky to have an institution where kids get to learn Armenian history,” Palandjian said. “I know it sounds cliche, but really, you get to learn the Armenian language and the history, and so you get to learn about your identity. It sets the tone and helps kids become confident about who they are as Armenian-Americans.”
Palandjian has an extensive educational background, with an undergraduate degree in elementary education from Rhode Island College, a master’s in comparative international education from Lehigh University, and a PhD in education policy and evaluation from Arizona State University.
She also studied different aspects of education in Armenia, such as the shift after independence. In addition, she also worked at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan.
“Looking at Armenian education was always my focus,” she said, adding that she was “trying to understand some of the shifts from the Soviet to the post-Soviet space, as well as how our teachers were trained in Armenia,” Palandjian said. “What’s education like in Armenia? What do they view and how do they view Armenian identity? How do they teach these? I mean, just a lot, a whole lot of ideas and interests there.”
