On March 16, Fresno State’s Armenian Studies Program awarded $110,000 in scholarships to 52 students.

The awards were given at the program’s 37th annual banquet, held at the Fort Washington Country Club.

Berberian Coordinator of Armenian Studies Barlow Der Mugrdechian was also celebrated at Sunday’s banquet for his 40th anniversary of teaching at Fresno State.

“It’s wonderful,” Der Mugrdechian said. “[It was] really exciting to see our graduating students with minors, to give all of our scholarships out and then to have a great crowd…it was a great evening.”

Five students are graduating this year with a minor in Armenian Studies, and 23 more are currently pursuing the study.

Scholarship recipient Ani Sargsyan says her minor in Armenian studies wasn’t one she initially planned on doing, but the experience has proved more than fulfilling for her.

“It means a lot…now that I got into it and took all these classes it’s given me almost a piece of my culture and…my heritage back, it’s an experience of growth in itself,” Sargsyan said.

Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities Nora Chapman reiterated the importance of having community support in order to have flourishing programs that reflect diversity on campus.

“The community gathers around our students [and] supports them with…dozens of scholarships,” Chapman said. “[Students] earn a degree in any major at Fresno State while learning all about the language and the culture, the history, the art, the music; everything about Armenian culture.”

University President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval praised the program for fostering a sense of community for Fresno State’s Armenian students.

“Here, there’s a sense of belonging, a sense of connection, a sense of self, a sense of purpose,” Jiménez-Sandoval said. “Knowing that there are programs and events and knowing that the campus recognizes that…there’s deep value in that.”

Anahid Valencia contributed to the reporting of this story.