Chamlian Visits Fresno, Meets With Mr. Vahan & Mrs. Anoush Chamlian and Santikian Farms!

Mr. and Mrs. Vahan and Anoush Chamlian greeted our Armenian club students with open arms on Wednesday, October 16! The Armenian Club went on a field trip to Fresno to visit significant Armenian sites and as this year we celebrate the school's 45th anniversary, they added a very special stop on their itinerary to visit Mr. and Mrs. Chamlian. The students had prepared a special program for them which was received very warmly. We are very proud of our students' sincere participation. After the brief program, they presented a special painting composed from every Chamlian students' fingerprint. The students enjoyed lunch with the Chamlians and their guests.

Mr. Vahan Chamlian shared his words of wisdom with our students, telling them how glad he was that our students visited him and his wife. He went on to say: "I want to ensure that you (our students) know your worth. You are the gifts of our people. Work hard and hold our cultural beauty in high regard. Service to your people and your homeland is the greatest treasure one could possibly own. Hold proudly the torch of our great heritage and move forward, as you are the future." The students brought back a copy of Armenian Costumes book to be distributed to every Chamlian student as a special gift from the Chamlians and the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA Sophia Chapter in Fresno.

The next highlight of the trip was the afternoon spent at Mr. and Mrs. Raffi and Hilda Santikian's farm. The afternoon was truly a special treat for our students as the students enjoyed the amazing farm and the beautiful lake. The Santikians served a delicious dinner prepared in the old tradition of "poori khorovats". The Santikians heartfelt reception of our students at their special farm is now part of our students' Chamlian memory book.

Our students are privileged to have spent a day with two of our community's heroes.