Armenian-American fellowship named for Fresno native

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region announced the launch of the Walter and Laurel Karabian Fellowship, in part honoring Walter Karabian, a Fresno native.

The fellowship, based in Sacramento, aims to prepare the next generation of Armenian-American leaders by offering leadership and professional skills during a nine-month experience, the committee said. The Karabian family funds the fellowship, whicih is geared toward recent college graduates.

Walter Karabian was born in Fresno and graduated from Roosevelt High School, the committee said. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California, and a juris doctorate from USC Law School.

Karabian served as a deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County. He was elected as one of the youngest men, and only the third Armenian-American, to the California State Assembly in 1966. The committee said Karabian was recently honored with the ANCA-WR Legacy Award.

This story was originally published July 9, 2016 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Armenian-American fellowship named for Fresno native."