On Friday December 3–more than seven hundred students–parents–alumni–supporters and guests had come to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the founding of Ferrahian High School. The event was organized by the Administration and was under the auspices of His Grace Bishop Moushegh Mardirossian–Prelate of the Western Prelacy.
In attendance were also the members of the Board of Regents of Prelacy School. The evening began by the national and school anthems performed by the school choir led by Alfred Mardoyan.
The opening statement was made by the Principal of the school–Dr. Marzbed Margossian who briefly reviewed the academic achievemen’s of the school and confirmed that the school has over the years of its experience honorably accomplished its Armenian national mission. What was a very pleasant surprise and as if to provide the evidence of what had just been claimed regarding the mission of the school–first grade pupils supervised by Carmen DerGarabedian and Zepiure Mardirossian rendered a stirring recitation of a paean to light constructed with the poetry of Krikor Naregatsi–Nerses Shenorhali and Vahe-Vahian spanning precisely a millennium of school by one of its first graduates–Peter Akaragaian. Alumna–Layla Ghazarian also brought her contribution to the program by her virtuoso performance of Arno Babajanian’s "The Dance of Vagharshabad." the way the program was constructed was such that students from almost all the classes took part and contributed their talents to the success of the celebration under the able guidance of their teachers. Poetry was recited by the 3rd and 4th grade students coached by Armig Mamigonian and Marlene Karagoulian and a play-acting of a dialogue of Hagop Oshagan–"The Miracle" guided by Eugenie Bedrossian–was performed by upper grade students.
In addition the dance ensemble of the school choreographed by Suzy Barseghian-Tarpinian–also took part in the program in addition to the performance of the choir. Among the speakers was also the founding principal Kapriel Injejikian–who reminisced about the difficulties and perseverance during the early days of the school. The keynote speaker–Mher Chekerdemian reviewed the accomplishmen’s of the past three and a half decades of the Ferrahian High School and expressed the confidence that the traditional expectations of the leadership of the community from our school.
Before inviting the Prelate to the podium–the Principal–Margossian announced that Carlo–Angelo and Monica Ghailians (the latter–Class of 1998) each donated $1,000 to the school on the occasion. The celebration ended by the congratulatory and encouraging statement of the Primate and by his prayer.
It was a very appropriate finish and a moving tribute to the first Armenian High School in the USA which set the standards of educational excellence as proclaimed by the large poster hung on the stage "35 Years of Excellence" a standard that has been the hallmark of Ferrahian and emulated by the schools that followed the lead of the Ferrahian High School..