The Arlene Marilyn Educational Scholarship, established by George Yacoubian in honor of his maternal aunt, Arlene Koumjian, will be endowed with a $250.00 donation each calendar year. The Educational Scholarship is earmarked exclusively for an orphaned Armenian child who shows exemplary academic skills and aspires to the educational field. Each calendar year, SOAR will request submissions in the form of an academic transcript and personal statement. Ms. Koumjian, in collaboration with SOAR, will review the submissions and award one scholarship winner each calendar year.
Arlene Marilyn Koumjian retired to the Lehigh Valley where her professional life began as a student teacher at Cedar Crest College, which ultimately provided her with the credentials to teach English for nearly thirty years at North Plainfield High School. She became a union leader there and also was devoted to the adult high school program. A Master’s Degree from Rutgers University and postgraduate study at New York University allowed her to create elective courses in philosophy and aesthetics. In addition, she was recognized with a New Jersey Best Practice Award for an interdisciplinary course in the humanities she developed and taught along with a colleague in the social studies department. Today she enjoys extensive travel and, when home, takes advantage of the many cultural offerings the Lehigh Valley affords.