{"id":41,"date":"2023-09-19T09:03:56","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T08:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/norluyce.com\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2025-11-17T16:58:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T16:58:58","slug":"who-we-are","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/norluyce.com\/hy\/who-we-are\/","title":{"rendered":"Who We Are"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nor Luyce’s comprehensive 3-stage mentorship program is transforming the future for young girls in Gyumri by offering them expansive opportunities for personal and professional development.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.\u201d
\u2014 Steven Spielberg<\/em><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Our Story<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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In 2009, Shogher Mikaelyan decided to start documenting historical houses in Gyumri. When father and son, Richard and Ara Chakerian, visited Gyumri and were introduced to Shogher, she decided to take them to a local orphanage. It was there that a young woman approached them and said, \u201cToday was a great day but it\u2019s really too bad because you will leave and forget about us.\u201d<\/em> Shogher felt compelled to make a promise to the young girl that she would come back. Despondently the young girl replied, \u201cDon\u2019t make promises you can\u2019t keep\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The funder of the orphanage expressed the great need the girls had for mentoring. It was at that moment that Richard and Ara asked Shogher if she would join them in leading this effort. Shogher began researching mentorship programs and found Big Brother\/Big Sister concept useful and compelling. After four months of research, Shogher created Nor Luyce and by January 2010, she, Richard and Ara had created a new vision for the girls of Gyumri.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI kept my promise and a couple of months later I went back to the orphanage to see the young girl. I told her about Nor Luyce and asked her to join us. She began coming to the meetings and now there are many girls with the same determination — from all different families and backgrounds. These girls have grown in their new home and have become the family of Nor Luyce.\u201d
\u2014 Shogher Mikaelyan, Executive Director<\/em><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Our team<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Co-Founder & Executive Director<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shoghik Mikaelyan<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Shoghik has been the Executive Director of Nor Luyce since 2009. She is a Gyumri native, with an advanced degree in psychology. In addition to Armenian, she speaks English, Spanish, and Russian. Shoghik has received her second MA in Counseling and Human Services as a Fulbright student in Lehigh University. In her spare time, she likes to play classical piano.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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PR & Evaluation Manager<\/em><\/p>

Arpi Hambaryan<\/strong><\/h4><\/div>

Arpi got her bachelor\u2019s as a journalist at Shirak State University. She is currently pursuing an MA in the service department at Yerevan State University. Arpi has been a part of Nor Luyce since 2015 as a volunteer mentor. Her passions include video and photo editing, web design and graphic design. Her hobbies include listening to music, and reading. Her goal is to have stable, self-confident, and resilient youth in our community.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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PR & Evaluation Manager<\/em><\/p>

Arpi Hambaryan<\/strong><\/h4><\/div>

Arpi got her bachelor\u2019s as a journalist at Shirak State University. She is currently pursuing an MA in the service department at Yerevan State University. Arpi has been a part of Nor Luyce since 2015 as a volunteer mentor. Her passions include video and photo editing, web design and graphic design. Her hobbies include listening to music, and reading. Her goal is to have stable, self-confident, and resilient youth in our community.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Mentoring Phase Coordinator<\/em><\/em><\/p>

Karine Harutyunyan<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4><\/div>

Karine received her bachelor\u2019s in psychology at Shirak State University and is currently pursuing a MA degree in psychology at the same university. Karine joined Nor Luyce in 2018 as a volunteer mentor to support an adolescent girl. Karine has conflict management, communication, and public speaking skills. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Mentoring Phase Coordinator<\/em><\/em><\/p>

Karine Harutyunyan<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4><\/div>

Karine received her bachelor\u2019s in psychology at Shirak State University and is currently pursuing a MA degree in psychology at the same university. Karine joined Nor Luyce in 2018 as a volunteer mentor to support an adolescent girl. Karine has conflict management, communication, and public speaking skills. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Group Coordinator<\/p>

Naira Kocharyan<\/h4><\/div>

Naira has a degree in biology and pedagogy. Currently, she is studying in the Department of Biology at Shirak State University as a Master’s student. In 2020 Naira joined Nor Luyce as a volunteer mentor to work with an adolescent girl. In 2021 thanks to her productive and hard work Naira was offered to join the Nor Luyce team. She is a very knowledgeable, smart, and empathetic person. She has skills in project coordination, teamwork, communication, and networking. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Group Coordinator<\/p>

Naira Kocharyan<\/h4><\/div>

Naira has a degree in biology and pedagogy. Currently, she is studying in the Department of Biology at Shirak State University as a Master’s student. In 2020 Naira joined Nor Luyce as a volunteer mentor to work with an adolescent girl. In 2021 thanks to her productive and hard work Naira was offered to join the Nor Luyce team. She is a very knowledgeable, smart, and empathetic person. She has skills in project coordination, teamwork, communication, and networking. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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PR Manager <\/p>

Nina Abgaryan<\/h4><\/div>

Nina Abgaryan is a journalist and media specialist who graduated from the Department of Journalism at Shirak State University and later from the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at the Media School of Tsayg Regional Television Company.
Nina has participated in numerous educational and youth initiatives, always driven by her passion for storytelling and empowering others. Since September 2025, she has been part of the Nor Luyce Mentoring Center for Youth NGO<\/strong> team as a Social Media Manager<\/strong>, where she manages the organization\u2019s online presence and shares inspiring stories from its programs and events.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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PR Manager <\/p>

Nina Abgaryan<\/h4><\/div>

Nina Abgaryan is a journalist and media specialist who graduated from the Department of Journalism at Shirak State University and later from the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at the Media School of Tsayg Regional Television Company.
Nina has participated in numerous educational and youth initiatives, always driven by her passion for storytelling and empowering others. Since September 2025, she has been part of the Nor Luyce Mentoring Center for Youth NGO<\/strong> team as a Social Media Manager<\/strong>, where she manages the organization\u2019s online presence and shares inspiring stories from its programs and events.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Group Coordinator<\/p>

Naira Kocharyan<\/h4><\/div>

Naira has a degree in biology and pedagogy. Currently, she is studying in the Department of Biology at Shirak State University as a Master’s student. In 2020 Naira joined Nor Luyce as a volunteer mentor to work with an adolescent girl. In 2021 thanks to her productive and hard work Naira was offered to join the Nor Luyce team. She is a very knowledgeable, smart, and empathetic person. She has skills in project coordination, teamwork, communication, and networking. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Mentoring Phase Coordinator<\/em><\/em><\/p>

Anna Galstyan<\/h4><\/div>

Anna Galstyan is currently pursuing her degree in Psychology at Shirak State University. Her journey with Nor Luyce<\/strong>began in 2021 as a mentee, and after successfully completing all three program stages, she continued her path as a mentor – guiding other young girls through their own journeys of growth and self-discovery. Today, Anna serves as the Head of the Mentoring Phase for mentees<\/strong>at Nor Luyce, where she combines her passion for psychology with her dedication to youth empowerment.
Outside of work, Anna enjoys reading, long walks, and having thoughtful \u201cconversations\u201d with her cat<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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PR Manager <\/p>

Nina Abgaryan<\/h4><\/div>

Nina Abgaryan is a journalist and media specialist who graduated from the Department of Journalism at Shirak State University and later from the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at the Media School of Tsayg Regional Television Company.
Nina has participated in numerous educational and youth initiatives, always driven by her passion for storytelling and empowering others. Since September 2025, she has been part of the Nor Luyce Mentoring Center for Youth NGO<\/strong> team as a Social Media Manager<\/strong>, where she manages the organization\u2019s online presence and shares inspiring stories from its programs and events.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Group Coordinator<\/p>

Naira Kocharyan<\/h4><\/div>

Naira has a degree in biology and pedagogy. Currently, she is studying in the Department of Biology at Shirak State University as a Master’s student. In 2020 Naira joined Nor Luyce as a volunteer mentor to work with an adolescent girl. In 2021 thanks to her productive and hard work Naira was offered to join the Nor Luyce team. She is a very knowledgeable, smart, and empathetic person. She has skills in project coordination, teamwork, communication, and networking. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Accountant<\/p>

Gayane Gomtsyan<\/h4><\/div>

Gayane Gomtsyan is an economist and accountant by profession. She graduated from the “Accounting and Auditing” department of the Armenian State University of Economics  Gyumri Branch. She has been working at Nor Luyce since 2019.
Gayane is even-minded, active, and hardworking. She has good communication skills, a great understanding of teamwork, and the ability to find effective solutions in moments of crisis, and stressful situations.


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Accountant<\/p>

Gayane Gomtsyan<\/h4><\/div>

Gayane Gomtsyan is an economist and accountant by profession. She graduated from the “Accounting and Auditing” department of the Armenian State University of Economics  Gyumri Branch. She has been working at Nor Luyce since 2019.
Gayane is even-minded, active, and hardworking. She has good communication skills, a great understanding of teamwork, and the ability to find effective solutions in moments of crisis, and stressful situations.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Group Coordinator<\/p>

Aida Vardanyan<\/h4><\/div>

Aida Vardanyan earned her degree in English-Armenian Translation from Shirak State University, where she also had the opportunity to study abroad in Portugal. Alongside her studies, she actively volunteered – translating psychological sessions and trainings, and taking on roles such as PR support, program coordinator, and logistics manager.
Currently, Aida is deeply involved in youth development work with Nor Luyce<\/strong>and INEDNET NGO<\/strong>. Since September 2025, she has been leading group meetings at Nor Luyce, helping young people build confidence, skills, and community connections.
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Group Coordinator<\/p>

Aida Vardanyan<\/h4><\/div>

Aida Vardanyan earned her degree in English-Armenian Translation from Shirak State University, where she also had the opportunity to study abroad in Portugal. Alongside her studies, she actively volunteered – translating psychological sessions and trainings, and taking on roles such as PR support, program coordinator, and logistics manager.
Currently, Aida is deeply involved in youth development work with Nor Luyce<\/strong>and INEDNET NGO<\/strong>. Since September 2025, she has been leading group meetings at Nor Luyce, helping young people build confidence, skills, and community connections.
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Accountant<\/p>

Gayane Gomtsyan<\/h4><\/div>

Gayane Gomtsyan is an economist and accountant by profession. She graduated from the “Accounting and Auditing” department of the Armenian State University of Economics  Gyumri Branch. She has been working at Nor Luyce since 2019.
Gayane is even-minded, active, and hardworking. She has good communication skills, a great understanding of teamwork, and the ability to find effective solutions in moments of crisis, and stressful situations.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Mentoring Phase Coordinator<\/em><\/em><\/p>

Anahit Grigoryan<\/h4><\/div>

Anahit Grigoryan holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in Psychology from Shirak State University (SSU)<\/strong> and is currently pursuing her master\u2019s in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy <\/strong>at Yerevan State University (YSU).<\/strong>
Her journey with Nor Luyce<\/strong> began in 2023 as a mentor, where she has guided and supported three mentees with empathy and dedication. Today, she continues to serve both as a mentor<\/strong> and as the Head of the Mentoring Phase for mentors<\/strong>, helping shape the next generation of mentors through her leadership and insight.
Anahit\u2019s professional interests center on mental health, psychotherapy methods, and exploring the complexities of the human mind. In her free time, she loves immersing herself in books that inspire her curiosity and creativity.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Group Coordinator<\/p>

Aida Vardanyan<\/h4><\/div>

Aida Vardanyan earned her degree in English-Armenian Translation from Shirak State University, where she also had the opportunity to study abroad in Portugal. Alongside her studies, she actively volunteered – translating psychological sessions and trainings, and taking on roles such as PR support, program coordinator, and logistics manager.
Currently, Aida is deeply involved in youth development work with Nor Luyce<\/strong>and INEDNET NGO<\/strong>. Since September 2025, she has been leading group meetings at Nor Luyce, helping young people build confidence, skills, and community connections.
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Accountant<\/p>

Gayane Gomtsyan<\/h4><\/div>

Gayane Gomtsyan is an economist and accountant by profession. She graduated from the “Accounting and Auditing” department of the Armenian State University of Economics  Gyumri Branch. She has been working at Nor Luyce since 2019.
Gayane is even-minded, active, and hardworking. She has good communication skills, a great understanding of teamwork, and the ability to find effective solutions in moments of crisis, and stressful situations.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Our Board<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Co-Founder and Chair<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ara Chackerian<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ara Chackerian is an entrepreneur, angel investor, and dedicated philanthropist. Ara has more than two decades of experience in building healthcare companies. Ara\u2019s executive level operating experience includes Chief Executive Officer of BMC Diagnostics, Executive Chairman of PipelineRx and TMS Health Solutions, and Executive Vice President at PSS\/World Medical, an international medical products distributor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Noushig Hovhannisian<\/strong><\/h4><\/div>

Noushig Hovhannesian was first introduced to Nor Luyce as a Birthright volunteer in 2010. Noushig\u2019s volunteer work with children\u2019s institutions in Armenia helped her recognize the deep importance of Nor Luyce\u2019s mission. Noushig holds a BS and MBA from St. Joseph\u2019s University in Philadelphia, PA. She is a full-time commercial real estate professional in Philadelphia and a member of Philadelphia\u2019s Artemis Chapter of the Armenian Relief Society.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Rachel Onanian Nadjarian<\/h4><\/div>

Rachel has been an active contributor to several Armenian communities in the diaspora and actively engaged with efforts in Armenia for most of her life. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of the Armenian International Women\u2019s Association. Rachel came to AIWA after 10+ years as an Independent Consultant where she helped solve strategic marketing, fundraising, and management challenges for international and national non-profits and start-ups.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Tania Eprem<\/strong><\/h4><\/div>

Tania started her career as a sales manager in Brooklyn, NY. Feeling unfulfilled and missing the \u201cspark\u201d she once had, she left her job and moved to Gyumri in October 2019. After discovering the hurdles that Armenian women face every day, she became passionate about women\u2019s rights and education and joined Shogher at Nor Luyce that November. Together, Shogher and Tania streamlined Nor Luyce\u2019s operations and finances and laid the groundwork for their strategic plan and expansion. Tania returned home in March 2020 and now works as Operations Manager for the Alliance for Middle East Peace<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Armand Charkhutian<\/strong><\/h4><\/div>

Armand had the pleasure of being introduced to Nor Luyce during his stay in Gyumri while volunteering with Birthright Armenia in the winter of 2020. During this time, he grew passionate about advancing Nor Luyce\u2019s mission and continuing to support the growth of the organization in providing youth in Gyumri with the resources necessary to enhance their personal and professional development. As a part of the board, Armand will be responsible for Nor Luyce\u2019s financial affairs as they look to expand their footprint within Armenia. Armand earned his B.S. in Finance from Rutgers University and currently works in healthcare financial planning and analysis in New Jersey.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

fostering growth Nor Luyce’s comprehensive 3-stage mentorship program is transforming the future for young girls in Gyumri by offering them expansive opportunities for personal and professional development. “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.\u201d \u2014 Steven Spielberg Our Story In …<\/p>\n

Who We Are<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"enabled","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-41","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"trp-custom-language-flag":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Mane","author_link":"https:\/\/norluyce.com\/hy\/author\/mane-mehrabyangmail-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"fostering growth Nor Luyce’s comprehensive 3-stage mentorship program is transforming the future for young girls in Gyumri by offering them expansive opportunities for personal and professional development. “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.\u201d \u2014 Steven Spielberg Our Story In\u2026","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/norluyce.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/norluyce.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/norluyce.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norluyce.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norluyce.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41"}],"version-history":[{"count":70,"href":"https:\/\/norluyce.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1516,"href":"https:\/\/norluyce.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions\/1516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/norluyce.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}