Central Council

Hello everyone! My name is Candace Karasarkisian, and I am honored to serve as your ACYO-WD Chairwoman for another year! This is my fourth year on Central Council, and I am blessed to continue serving our Armenian Apostolic community of the Western Diocese, whether it’s through ACYO or other diocesan organizations. I have been involved in ACYO for a little over 11 years now, with my home parish being St. Gregory the Illuminator Pasadena, CA. Outside of ACYO, I am a pre-law student at the University of California, Riverside, obtaining a bachelor's degree in sociology. I also work for the family real estate business and plan on obtaining my real estate license this year to continue my father's legacy. 

My goal for this year is to make ACYO more Christ-centered and connect with youth on a deeper and more personal level. We have big plans for this year that I’m excited to announce very soon!! As I've said many times before, the Central Council is here to be your brothers and sisters in Christ. Feel free to reach out at any time for anything. I look forward to working with the wonderful and brilliant newly elected Central Council! May God continue to bless us all and give us the strength and wisdom to achieve these goals!

Hi everyone! My name is Arthur Semionov, and this is my second year serving on the Central Council, now as your Vice-Chairman. I am from Holy Resurrection Armenian Apostolic Church in Seattle, and I got involved in ACYO in 2020, where I am currently the Vice Chair. I’m happy to continue representing and connecting more communities on the West Coast and expanding our organization. I currently work at the State Department of Transportation as a Design Engineer. I work with many different people, and I enjoy the problem-solving we do every day. I also enjoy cooking different foods (steak is an honorable mention), going to the gym, and having outdoor adventures. Growing up, I was always involved in my church, and I've been serving on the altar for about 13 years now. I look forward to all the upcoming events and expanding participation in our community! 

Hi everyone! My name is Anna Sargsyan, and I am overjoyed to be your new Treasurer of Central Council! Serving our beautiful church and community through my home parish, St. Mary, Costa Mesa, has been an immense privilege, and I am deeply humbled to be given this opportunity to continue to share God’s light and love with our cherished youth.

Outside of the church, I have been blessed with the chance to study God’s creation as I pursue a degree in biology, with hopes of continuing my education in medicine or research. I enjoy using the rest of my free time to read, draw, crochet, embroider, work out, and connect with nature any chance I get.I look forward to planting seeds of faith in our youth and nurturing their spiritual growth, all while strengthening my own with my fellow board members! Praying for a Christ-centered, beautiful year with all of you beautiful people!

My name is Sarah Koloyian, and I’ll be serving on Central Council as your Recording Secretary once again. I am beyond grateful to my parents and home parish, St. John, San Francisco, for nurturing my faith and instilling in me the values that inspire me to give back.

When I’m not busy with ACYO, you can find me reading, baking/cooking, or caring for my cats and rabbits.

I pray that this year brings continued growth and unity as we work together in worship, fellowship, education, and service. May God guide us in all that we do, and may our efforts strengthen our community and mission. I look forward to another wonderful year with all of you!

Hi everybody! My name is Nareh Abovian, and I am honored to be serving you all as this year’s Corresponding Secretary of our Central Council. My home parish is Holy Apostles, Tujunga, where I serve as the Chairwoman of our beloved ACYO and get the opportunity to meet youth from chapters in and around LA. I pray this year is blessed with more connections among our Armenian Christian youth, between one another, and with Christ first and foremost.

Outside of ACYO, I am a student of psychology, an artist, and a self-proclaimed coffee shop connoisseur.

My hopes for being on Central Council this year include deepening our youth’s connection to God through open communication, strengthening community, and fostering a drive to know Christ’s Word. Along with being part of one organization, we are part of one body of Christ. I hope our chapters feel increasingly connected to one another and feel welcome to reach out to neighboring chapters and Central Council members with any questions or needs, whether they are personal spiritual needs or regarding ACYO matters. I’m so thankful and beyond excited to get to work with you all this year!

Barev bolorin! Hello, ACYO members and family. My name is Mary (Mariam) Iskenyan. I am eager to spend another year as the Publicity Director for our ACYO Central Council. Whether it's an ACYO event, an Armenian Saturday School lesson or event, or a Badarak service, you can always find me representing my home parish at St. Paul Armenian Apostolic in Fresno. Currently, I’m studying at California State University, Fresno. I aspire to become an advisor or counselor and hope to one day take my educational knowledge to Armenia to assist our fellow Armenians during challenging times. I am looking forward to making many more connections and meeting additional ACYO members, whether they are new or familiar! I look forward to seeing everyone this year! 

Barev everyone. My name is Daniel Koloyian, and I am blessed to serve as the Advisor for this year's Central Council. I am from the Bay Area, with St. John San Francisco being my home parish. I have been part of ACYO for almost 10 years now, and I am glad to be able to further my participation within the organization. I am super excited to meet all of you guys and am looking forward to a great year.