Names Capitol Hill Day of Annual Rising Leaders Program in Memory of Lifelong ANCA Activist
WASHINGTON—The ANCA Endowment Fund is proud to honor Lucine Zadoian Kouchakdjian by naming the flagship Capitol Hill day of the organization’s Rising Leaders program – an annual three-day gathering in Washington, DC introducing university students and high school seniors to career opportunities and community advocacy priorities in the nation’s capital – in memory of her lifetime of service to the Armenian Cause.
The family of Lucine Zadoian Kouchakdjian, who passed away on February 26, 2021, at the age 87, has ensured that her legacy lives on by empowering new generations of Armenian Americans to engage in American civic life at the Federal level, advancing policy priorities, exploring career opportunities, and making lifelong friendships. Capitol Hill Day – a centerpiece of Rising Leaders – traditionally features early morning training sessions and legislative briefings, followed by a series of Congressional meetings and luncheon and evening receptions.
For dozens of years, living in the Washington, DC area – in addition to her cultural, education, and charitable work with a broad range of community organizations – Lucine organized highly effective ANCA campaigns to call, write and meet with Members of Congress and engage in political campaigns, always fostering a forward-leaning spirit of civic responsibility among Armenian Americans across the nation’s capital.
Michael Kouchakdjian stated, “Our Mother’s legacy will live on and prosper through the Capitol Day of the Rising Leaders Program. Her conviction of the righteousness of our cause made her a tireless advocate and lifelong learner. Supporting a program which trains and activates new generations of advocates for the Armenian Cause is a fitting tribute given her admiration of the ANCA, along with her confidence in our future generations. We are deeply appreciative of the team at the ANCA and of so many donors for undertaking this endeavor with us.”
“We are grateful beyond measure that the family of Lucine Zadoian Kouchakdjian has entrusted us with a share of her blessed memory – a charge we accept as a sacred obligation to her living legacy,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “A true force of nature, Lucine’s remarkable life of service and sacrifice for our community and cause – including decades here in Washington, DC – inspired generations of Hai Tahd leaders, and will continue to empower our youth for generations to come. She represented the very best of our Armenian tradition, adapting and overcoming – always with courage and grace and a warm and loving smile.”
Rising Leaders has emerged as a premier program for high school and university age Americans of Armenian heritage, to engage in American civic life, educate the public and policymakers regarding pro-Armenian policy priorities, and explore career opportunities in public service, foreign policy, politics, advocacy, and the media. Veterans of the program have gone on to participate in the ANCA’s Leo Sarkisian Internship and the Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway program.
Lucine was born on April 12, 1933, in Ploiesti, Romania to Vartan and Anoush (Ghazarian) Zadoian, survivors of the Armenian Genocide. That her Godfather was the Armenian hero, General Dro Kanayan, foreshadowed a lifetime of fearless activism and tireless advocacy for the Armenian Cause. She is survived by her loving family: her husband Sarkis; her sons Michael and Ara; daughters-in-law Hasmik (Ghevondyan) and Lisa (Kaprielian); grandchildren Stepan, Hagop, Aram, Zaven, Maral, and Diran; her brother Hratch and his wife Leslie; her-brother-in-law George Kouchakdjian and his wife Julie; and her sister-in-law Anita Serian and her husband Steven; nephews and nieces. Her full obituary can be read in The Armenian Weekly.
Donations to the ANCA Endowment’s Lucine Zadoian Kouchakdjian Fund can be made to the Armenian National Committee of America Endowment Fund online or mailed to The ANCA Endowment Fund, Honoring Mrs. Lucine Kouchakdjian, 1711 N Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036.
