NEW YORK — The15th Annual Mentoring Forum on March 27 brought together Armenian students and professionals at the Diocesan Center’s Kavookjian Hall.
More than 125 attendees participated, representing a range of fields including education, engineering, healthcare and media. Students traveled from across the tri-state region, including Connecticut and the Boston area.
Founded in 2011 by the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA) and the Armenian American Health Professionals Organization (AAHPO), the Mentoring Forum has grown into a collaborative effort supported by leading Armenian organizations, including the Armenian Network of Greater New York, Armenian General Benevolent Union, Fund for Armenian Relief, and the Armenian National Committee.
This year’s event showcased the breadth and diversity of the Armenian-American professional community, uniting mentors and mentees from disciplines ranging from engineering and education to medicine and media.
The program featured a panel discussion on networking, career development, and employment pathways. Panelists and their roles were: Nazo Haroutunian, serving as senior talent advisor at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure; Aram Babikian, who leads Xtrackers sales for U.S. wealth at DWS Group; Peter Bonjuklian, functioning as managing partner and national staffing leader; and Dr. Nouneh Gostanian, who acts as medical director of EPIC transformation at Northwell Cancer Institute and assistant director of the Zuckerberg Cancer Center Infusion Center.
Attendees peppered the panelists with questions on how emerging professionals can best set themselves up for success in an AI-driven economy. The panel presented practical advice on building networks, standing out in the job market, and making strategic career decisions. Drawing on their own experiences, they also reflected on pivotal moments in their careers and lessons learned from professional setbacks.
