SOAR - New York City Chapter
The New York City Chapter became part of the SOAR family in April 2013 and encompasses the five boroughs of New York City. The history of Armenians in New York City dates back to 1834 when Khachadur Osganian arrived from the Ottoman Empire. Osganian, with a Protestant missionary education, came to New York to study at the newly established New York University. In 1841 the first immigrants from Armenia began arriving in New York. Over the course of the next few decades, thousands of others came settling mostly in New York (and Massachusetts). Unlike most other ethnic minorities who settled across the city and relocated fairly frequently, Armenians, and other Eastern Mediterranean people, settled in the southern tip of New York (known today as the Financial District). This area soon became known as the Syrian Quarter dominated by Syrian and Lebanese Christians, as well as Armenians. Today, New York City is home to approximately 40,000 Armenians.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Jacklyn Baltaian
President
Jacklyn was born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1973. She graduated from Eseyan Armenian Girl High School and began her career as a travel agent. In 1997, she moved to the United States with her husband, Garo, where she continued her work in the travel industry. In 2001, Jacklyn welcomed her son, Arnag.
She supported her husband’s business in NYC by managing public relations, administrative tasks, and website development. In 2002, Jacklyn studied wedding planning, and in 2010, she founded “Granola Mufkies LLC,” a healthy cookie company she operated for four years. In 2015, she pursued studies in Ayurveda and Western Medical Science in New York City, earning her Holistic Health Counselor Certification, followed by a Holistic Nutrition Lab-Digestion Intensive certification in 2016.
Since 2006, Jacklyn has been deeply involved with the St. Thomas Armenian Church & Kirikian Armenian Saturday School. She began as a substitute teacher and eventually took over the Arts and Crafts and Special Programs for students ranging from toddler age to 7th grade. In 2018, she initiated a new art and movement program for Pre-K and toddler students, which she continues to lead today.
Jacklyn also became a founding member of the St. Thomas Armenian Church Cultural Committee in 2013. Since May 2017, she has worked at the church in sales, marketing, and as a venue/event coordinator, successfully managing hall rentals and increasing revenue.
In her personal time, Jacklyn enjoys hiking, music, dancing, yoga, traveling, and cooking healthy foods. She prioritizes a holistic lifestyle and enjoys creative activities and walking her dog, Kach.
Driven by a lifelong love and bond for children, Jacklyn joined SOAR in April 2024. By November 2024, she became the current President, dedicated to supporting vulnerable Armenian orphans.
Dr. Nuné Melikian
Treasurer
Dr. Nuné Melikian has been described by The Strings Magazine as “a violinist who has proven the theory of self-actualization.” An emerging voice on the international stage, she believes that music has no boundaries. The only Armenian female violinist to make her Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium debut with a symphony orchestra, she moves with equal ease from performing with Jimmy Buffett to playing for wounded soldiers in Armenian hospitals.
Born in Siberia to a family of medical PhDs, Dr. Melikian immigrated alone to Canada at 19. In 2009, she became the youngest person admitted to the Master’s program at the University of Montreal. Since then, she has performed worldwide, including appearances at the United Nations Headquarters, Lincoln Center, and Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The winner of more than 18 awards, Dr. Melikian is the founder of the Hidden Treasure Project (2011) and, in 2024, the Hidden Treasure Music Festival (NYC), a unique fusion of rare concert repertoire and a summer academy for underserved youth. The festival received the Creative Engagement Grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. A North American representative of the Arno Babadjanian Foundation, she earned her Doctorate at McGill University with the first comprehensive dissertation on the composer. In 2024, she published the first English-language biography of Babadjanian, presented at Stanford University, NAASR co-sponsored by Harvard, the American University of Armenia, and other institutions.
Dr. Melikian currently serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at Yeshiva University and teaches at Kaufman Music Center and Special Music School in New York. Fluent in six languages, she lives on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and balances her career as a performer, educator, and scholar. She performs on a rare violin generously loaned by Groupe Canimex.
Rose Shamoon
Social Media Director
Pic and Bio coming soon
Anna Akopian
Anna is a native New Yorker with deep ties to her Armenian heritage. As the first in her family born in the U.S., her parents made it a priority to keep her connected to her roots—enrolling her at Holy Martyrs Armenian School, speaking Armenian at home as her first language, and taking her to Armenia in the summers to visit family.
She works as a strategy consultant and enjoys leveraging her business expertise to support Armenian businesses and organizations. Passionate about children, Anna is excited to collaborate with SOAR to make a meaningful impact on the children in our communities.
Lilit Kevorkian
Lilit was adopted from Gyumri, Armenia when she was 4 years old. She got the opportunity to start the next chapter in her life in New York. Lilit recently graduated from Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts and is very involved in the American-Armenian community in the Northeast. Being Armenian has taught her so much about the value of her cultural heritage. She loves helping others and is very excited to be a part of the SOAR New York Chapter.
Holly Malkasian Staudinger
Holly Malkasian is originally from the Boston area where she grew up surrounded by her grandmother and Armenian relatives. She worked in corporate roles in the past and currently teaches French and is a writer/editor. After moving to New York, she joined Saint Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church in White Plains where her two sons, Paul and Will, attended Saturday and Sunday Schools. Holly has traveled to Armenia several times and is planning future trips. As a proud Armenian, Holly is excited to be part of the SOAR community which is pro-active in bringing positive changes to children, elderly and families in Armenia.
William Malkasian Staudinger
William Staudinger is a Penn State University graduate with a degree in Finance and currently works in the finance industry in New York City. Raised attending Saturday and Sunday school at St. Gregory The Enlightener Armenian Church in White plains, he has a strong connection to his Armenian heritage and has visited Armenia three times. At Penn State, Will was involved in the Armenian club. In his free time, Will enjoys playing golf, traveling, and giving back to the community through volunteering with NYCares.