When Mesrobian High School Sophomore Karnig Boyadjian said he was interested in pursuing a career in aerospace engineering, Mesrobian’s Alumni Network and Mentorship Program connected him with Mesrobian Class of 1990 graduate Vahe Manuelian.

As part of his ongoing mentorship, Manuelian arranged a special tour for Karnig of his work facilities, Aerospace Corporation, where Manuelian is a Manager of Embedded Systems Integration and the Embedded System Application Center.

“Everything about the visit was incredible,” shared Karnig. “For example, Dr. Evan Ulrich showed me a drone that was modeled after a maple seed, and later Dr. Nahum Melamed gave me a presentation about planetary defense from near-earth asteroids that are sometimes the size of cities! The presentations I received are normally given to hundreds of high school students or small groups of MIT students, so I am very appreciative and amazed at how personalized the experience was for me.”

Karnig had the opportunity to meet with, hear presentations from, and ask questions of a number of associates who are leading cutting-edge research projects including:

• Dr. Evan Ulrich, Aerodynamics, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Rotorcraft, talking about the AeroSeed, a UAV which Dr. Ulrich invented with wings based on the maple seed.
• Samuel Shimohara, PhD candidate, Conforming Mechanical Systems, Simulation and Test Automation, explaining a new grasping mechanism they have designed for grasping and connecting two vehicles in space.
• Dr. Nahum Melamed, Navigation, Planetary Defense, showing Karnig Delta II rocket second stage and third stage tanks, respectively, that fell back on earth. These artifacts have holes in them caused by tiny meteorites. As a leading and world renowned engineer in the field, Dr. Melamed also introduced Karnig to his work on defending planet earth from asteroid impacts.
• Karnig visited the launch operation and monitoring center called STARS.
• Karnig also met Dr. Henry Helvajian, Senior Scientist Laser and Space Sciences, Dr. Shant Kenderian, Director Materials Processing Department and Non-Destructive Testing Lab, and Dr. Levon Gevorkyan, Propulsion. Dr. Kenderian is a parent of two Mesrobian students and husband of a Mesrobian alumna.

The Aerospace Corporation is a California nonprofit corporation that operates the only federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) committed exclusively to the space enterprise with technical experts spanning every discipline of space-related science and engineering. The corporation provides technical guidance and advice on all aspects of space missions to military, civil, and commercial customers.

Mesrobian’s Alumni Network and Mentorship Program connects students with over five decades of alumni who have distinguished themselves in fields as diverse as education, science, business, medicine, music, law, dentistry, chiropractic, politics, art, marketing, engineering, veterinary medicine, and psychology.

All Mesrobian High School students have similar opportunities to build unique relationships and gain exclusive career and internship opportunities through members of the vast Mesrobian Alumni family.

Vahe Manuelian is married to Mesrobian Class of 1995 Alumna Dr. Tamar Bourian-Manuelian, and the two are proud parents of three Mesrobian students.

Armenian Mesrobian School, established in 1965, is fully accredited from Preschool through High School by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is the nation’s first Armenian Elementary School. The college preparatory High School curriculum is certified to the University of California. Mesrobian School includes Ron and Goharik Gabriel Preschool (which serves students 2-5 years old), Elementary, Middle School and a college preparatory High School on the same campus. A major convenience for parents who may have children at multiple ages, Mesrobian offers a unique perspective and opportunity for students, teachers, and parents to grow together, and for students to get the attention and nurturing they need to be successful in school and in life. The school offers transportation from the Pasadena/Greater San Gabriel Valley, Glendale and Orange County areas.

http://asbarez.com/177668/mesrobian-alumni-network-connects-high-schooler-with-aerospace/