ANCA-WR to Honor Sam Simonian with ‘Global Educational Excellence Award’ at Oct. 20 Gala

BY KATY SIMONIAN

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region will honor engineer, innovator, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Sam Simonian with the Global Educational Excellence Award at the 2024 Awards Gala which will be held on October 20 at The Beverly Hilton.

“I would like to see a peaceful, happy, strong and technologically superior Armenia, and education is the only vehicle to take us there.” TUMO Co-Founder Sam Simonian’s words reflect not only a dream for a better future – but a clear vision for Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora to thrive in an enriching global technological space that continues to grow each year. Guided by a commitment to education and inspired by the spirit of public service, Simonian is a pioneer of technological and entrepreneurial innovation.

The TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, a free educational program that seeks to encourage teenagers to take charge of their own learning – offers an initiative that has inspired Armenian youth across the world.

The program, which he co-founded with his wife Sylvia, is a living center for innovation across the arts and sciences. The dynamic couple is motivating generations of Armenians with their belief in the inextricable link between education and philanthropy.

After opening its flagship location in Yerevan in 2011, TUMO has expanded with hubs in Dilijan, Gyumri, and Stepanakert with 19 boxes operating in neighboring towns. Additionally, TUMO boasts centers in Paris, Beirut, Tirana, Berlin, Zurich, Mannheim, Coimbra, Kyiv and Lyon.

It was recently announced that  the first TUMO in the United States will be in North Hollywood, where earlier this year a groundbreaking ceremony was held attended by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and L.A. City Council President Paul Krekorian.

TUMO’s mission is to allow teens to maximize their potential by discovering their passions and building the skills and self-confidence required to shape their own future outside the confines of often challenging circumstances with difficult living conditions and limited access to educational opportunity. This program offers free education and training to teens in 14 different subjects, from music, filmmaking and animation to programming, robotics and 3D modeling.

The Simonians have always noted the impact of education on their lives. Having moved to America from Beirut as teenagers, they operate with a deep sense of empathy for the needs and experiences of the Armenian people. TUMO is a beacon of hope linking Armenians from around the world together in the Simonians’ mission to promote peace through education, noting most significantly the need for creating spaces of opportunity for all Armenians to fulfill their goals.

Sam Simonian became a co-founder of Inet Technologies, a telecommunications company specializing in Network Management and Business Operational Solutions in 1989. By 1994, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Inc. Magazine, Ernst & Young, and Merrill Lynch. He also received the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in May 2000 and was the recipient of Armenia’s highest award – the Anania Shirakatsi Medal – for his contributions to Armenia and his devotion to investing in the lives of Armenia’s youth by helping them to find their voices and unique talents to preserve Armenia’s cultural identity and secure a peaceful, prosperous future for Armenians everywhere.

A graduate of AGBU’s Hovagimian-Manougian secondary school in Beirut, Simonian immigrated to the United States with his family, settling in Texas where he attended the University of Texas at Arlington, majoring in Electrical Engineering.

Simonian, who is the incoming President of AGBU and, alongside his wife Sylvia Simonian, a fellow AGBU alumna, maintains a steadfast commitment to creating spaces where Armenian youth can not only pursue their goals, but learn the importance of making contributions to their communities through innovation. During his tenure with the AGBU, the AGBU has provided more than 400,000 warm meals and 31,000 food packages to Artsakh Armenians who were forcibly displaced by Azerbaijan’s full-scale invasion that ethnically cleansed more than 100,000 civilians from their homes, much-needed trauma counseling for the displaced, job training and adult education to prepare the people of Artsakh for the workforce, warm clothing and heaters for families, and educational programming that to date has reached more than 650,000 Armenians across 98 countries.

It is poignant to note that TUMO’s flagship location which stands in Yerevan, got its name from Tumanyan Park – and by extension, the park’s beloved namesake, Armenian writer and peace activist Hovhannes Tumanyan. Heralded as the “Poet of all Armenians,” Tumanyan, who had 10 children, was noted for his dedication to helping Armenia’s youth and desire to safeguard the country’s future. Through technological creativity and an unyielding sense of purpose, Sam and Sylvia Simonian have answered Tumanyan’s call for peace in new, transformative ways that invite young Armenians to engage in the process of building the Armenian nation with TUMO’s unique brand of leadership, excellence and spirit of ingenuity – a fitting legacy for generations of Armenians to embrace. There are now 15,000 active students working through the center and counting, proving that a true commitment to peace through education creates a light that cannot be dimmed by circumstances – but will shine brighter with a renewed optimism for Armenia’s future in the years to come.