Larisa Hovannisian
| Larisa Hovannisian | |
|---|---|
 Hovannisian in October 2015 | |
| Born |
Larisa Virginia Ryan 21 October 1988 Yerevan, Armenia |
| Citizenship | Armenia, USA |
| Education | St. Norbert College, Arizona State University |
| Occupation | CEO and Founder, Teach For Armenia |
| Spouse(s) | Garin Hovannisian (m. 2016) |
Larisa Virginia Hovannisian (née Ryan, Armenian: Լարիսա Վիրջինիա Հովհաննիսյան; born 21 October 1988) is an Armenian American social entrepreneur and education activist. Hovannisian is the Founder and CEO of Teach For Armenia, a non-profit organization that recruits college graduates and working professionals to serve as full-time teachers in Armenia's most underserved schools. Teach For Armenia is the 36th partner of Teach For All, a global network dedicated to expanding educational opportunities in countries around the world.
Background
Early Life and Family
Hovannisian was born in Yerevan, Armenia to Maya Leonidovna Gurunts of Armenian decent and John Patrick Ryan of Irish-American decent. When Hovannisian was 3 months old her family first moved to California and later to Russia. Hovannisian spent majority of her childhood in Moscow, Russia and Yerevan, Armenia. After graduating from high school, Hovannisian moved to the United States to pursue her undergraduate studies.[1] Hovannisian is the granddaughter of well-known Armenian writer Leonid Gurunts from Artskah (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) and has one younger sibling Margaret Ryan.
Education
Hovannisian holds a double degree in International Business and French, as well as a minor in Graphic Design from St. Norbert College, a liberal arts college in De Pere, Wisconsin. Hovannisian also holds a Masters degree in Special Education from the Arizona State University.
Career
Teach For America
In 2010, Hovannisian joined Teach For America, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enlist, develop, and mobilize the promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence, by recruiting and selecting college graduates from top universities around the United States to serve as teachers. Hovannisian was placed to teach special education through the Teach For America program in an undeserved elementary and middle school in Glendale, Arizona.
Teach For Armenia
Inspired by her teaching experience in Arizona, in 2013 Hovannisian decided, to move back to Armenia and launch Teach For Armenia, an organization whose mission is to improve educational outcomes for all children in Armenia and unlock the vast potential of her country’s young people. The organization recruits and trains exceptional young graduates to teach in the most underserved schools for a minimum of two years. Recent student assessments reflect increased student growth both in academics and personal leadership development. Beyond the classroom, through after school activities and community projects, teachers are helping students to develop nonacademic skills and mindsets that will serve them throughout their lives.[2]
Music
In 2015 Hovannisian recorded an Armenian lullaby, “Ari Im Sokhag” with Serj Tankian, the lead vocalist of Grammy Award Winning rock band System of A Down.[3] The song became the soundtrack of the film “1915”, a psychological thriller about the Armenian Genocide.[4] The music video was released on April 22, 2016 and was directed by Hovannisian’s husband, Garin Hovannisian.
Social and Educational Activism
Apart from her professional career, Hovannisian is also an educational activist. In one of her recent interviews she stated, “I have long believed that change—true, meaningful change—begins in our schools”.[5] Hovannisian was one of the speakers at Tedx Yerevan, 2016.
Personal life
Hovannisian is fluent in English, Russian and Armenian. In 2016, Hovannisian married Garin Hovannisian, an Armenian-American writer and filmmaker. They live in Yerevan, Armenia.