School Staff
The school board and teachers of St. Sarkis Sunday School believe in providing a nurturing and inclusive environment for our students to learn, grow, and thrive. Our School provides a strong foundation in Armenian culture, religion, and language. Instructors foster hands-on learning, academic excellence, and community reverence, all of which are integral to our mission.
School Board
Superintendent
Tatiana Kevork Carlson
Tatiana Kevork Carlson grew up in Los Angeles attending Holy Martyrs Ferrahian Armenian School where she took great pride in learning the Armenian Language, History and Religion. By profession she works in Biotechnology as an Associate Director of Clinical Compliance. Her area of expertise lies within the clinical space of oncology and rare disease. She and her husband Aaron Carlson have two beautiful children Troy and Amelia. She is excited to see the Armenian community of San Diego grow over the recent years and is dedicated to helping our young Armenian children succeed in learning more about their culture, language and faith.
Vice Superintendent
Seda Filenko
Seda Filenko is a systems engineer with over 15 years of experience in the tech industry. She was born in Yerevan, Armenia, and has lived in San Diego with her husband and two sons for the last 8 years. She is thrilled and thankful to be a part of such a vibrant and flourishing Armenian community and is looking forward to propagating and supporting Armenian cultural and educational excellence for the next generation.
Secretary
Maral Semerjian Sekayan
Maral is excited to serve as secretary on the St. Sarkis Armenian Sunday School Board. She is a mother of two boys and a pharmacist by profession. Maral moved to San Diego last year and has been so happy to meet fellow Armenians. Her son really enjoyed learning and making new friends at Sunday School last year. Maral enjoys outdoor activities, trying new foods and exploring new places with her family. She feels fortunate to have the Armenian Church and a strong Armenian community in San Diego.
Treasurer
Siran (Sara) Hackney
Siran (Sara) Hackney is honored to fill the role of Treasurer for St. Sarkis Armenian Sunday School. Siran was born in Yerevan, Armenia and grew up in the vibrant Armenian community of Los Angeles, California. Siran is a corporate attorney by profession who has primarily worked in the Entertainment and Tech Industries. She and her husband Josh have an exuberant daughter named Lilith who attends St. Sarkis Armenian Sunday School where she continues to gain a fuller appreciation of her Armenian roots. Siran is eager to cultivate a fruitful and inspiring school year for our children and looks forward to seeing our community thrive.
Communications Chair
Kristen Lipari
Kristen Lipari works as a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice across California. She grew up in New York and graduated from Holy Martyrs Armenian Sunday School, attended AGBU Camp Nubar and the NY Internship Program, and served as President of Boston University's Armenian Student Association in her undergraduate years. Kristen went onto earn a doctorate in Counseling Psychology. Her dissertation investigated the cultural identity and intergenerational trauma of Armenian Genocide descendants. In her research, Kristen found that descendants of the Genocide work hard to restore the cultural pillars of Armenian identity that were taken from their ancestors so many years ago. Kristen joined the St. Sarkis Sunday School Board to help preserve Armenian culture, language, and religion by providing an excellent educational experience to the next generation of Armenians. Kristen is a mother to two young children, Graham and Alexandra. She manages the Sunday School website and social media accounts.
Parent Advisor
Gohar Gyurjyan
Gohar Gyurjyan is a Parent Advisor on the St. Sarkis Armenian Sunday School Board and teaches culture classes on occasion. She is the mother of two boys, who have been attending St. Sarkis since 2022. Last year, she taught classes about great Armenian historical figures such as Mesrop Mashtotz and Komitas. She was pleasantly surprised to see our students' growing interest and pride in their culture and heritage and hopes to continue to expand our children's knowledge about our culture this year. What was even more unexpected was that her own two boys looked forward to these classes. She is a clinical psychologist by profession and has worked in the field of child development for over 15 years. She feels that our children's sense of identity and belonging is crucial to their ultimate success as adults. When not working or volunteering at church, Gohar enjoys traveling, reading about Eurasian politics and spending time with her two boys and loving husband.
School Advisor
Tamar Pakhchanian Shorr
Tamar holds a Masters of Education Curriculum and Instruction in Mathematics and a Masters of Education in Special Education. Tamar has taught students of all ages for over 15 years and currently teaches Math, Science, and History to 7th and 8th graders. Tamar is a mother of five, ages 10, 11, 18, 21, and 23. Her husband is active duty in the Navy and they have had the opportunity to live in multiple places from Hawaii to Virginia. Tamar served as Superintendent for the St. Sarkis Armenian School for the previous two school years and enjoys being a member of the St. Sarkis family. She looks forward to working with the new School Board in solidifying all the great changes as the school continues to grow.
Teachers
Western Armenian Teacher
Sarah Aghajanian
Sarah has both a master's and an undergraduate degree in education as well as almost 20 years of teaching experience. She and her husband Haig, along with their two daughters and dog, recently moved to San Diego from Philadelphia. Sarah is grateful to be joining such a welcoming community and is excited to help children develop their confidence and skills.
Eastern Armenian Teacher
Erik Barsegian
Erik Barsegian is a junior at UC San Diego, majoring in Psychology with a specialization in Social Psychology, and hopes to pursue a career in forensic psychology. Originally from Fresno, CA, Erik has been actively involved in the Armenian community, attending Hye Camp and being an active member of St. Paul Armenian Church. Since moving to San Diego in the summer of 2024, Erik has continued his involvement at St. Sarkis Armenian Church, where he teaches conversational Armenian and Armenian culture. He is also a member of the Armenian Student Association at UCSD, where he promotes cultural pride and community engagement.
Outside of academics, Erik enjoys puzzles, painting, hiking, and spending time at the beach. With a passion for understanding human behavior, he aims to apply psychological insights to the legal system and make a meaningful impact on society. Erik is excited to share his appreciation of Armenian heritage with the students of St. Sarkis Sunday School.
Eastern Armenian Teacher
Anahit Chobanyan
Anahit Chobanyan was born and raised in Yerevan Armenia where she gained valuable teaching experience as a high school teacher. Anahit worked as the lead financial expert in the State Revenue Committee of The Republic of Armenia. She lives with her husband and two children (23 and 18) and enjoys spending her free time going to the beach and reading. She plays an active role in the Armenian community and is passionate about serving as a teacher at St. Sarkis.
Armenian Culture & History Teacher
Khori Cranford
Khori is a graduate student at SDSU in the School of Communication, where she also works as an undergraduate instructor for courses in public speaking. Originally from Fresno, CA, Khori grew up in the Armenian community attending St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church in Fowler, participating in ACYO, Hye Camp, Paros Service Armenia, and interning with the Armenian Assembly in Washington, D.C. Khori earned her undergraduate degree from Fresno State University in International Relations with a minor in Armenian Studies. She has has a deep appreciation and understanding of Armenian culture and history that she is thrilled to share with the students of St. Sarkis Sunday School.
Eastern Armenian Teacher
Sevan Derderian
Sevan is a third-year student at UC San Diego, pursuing a double major in Philosophy and Political Science with a concentration in Data Analytics on the Pre-Law track. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Sevan attended Ferrahian Armenian School from pre-K through High School. At Ferrahian she developed a deep commitment to preserving Armenian culture and language. Inspired by the dedication of her own Armenian teachers, Sevan hopes to ignite the same passion for the motherland and its culture in her Sunday School students.
Sevan gives back to the Armenian community whenever possible. During her internship
with the Armenian National Committee of America, she worked closely with professional staff to
evaluate political candidates’ fitness to serve Armenian-American needs. As the All-ASA Representative for UC San Diego’s Armenian Students Association (ASA), Sevan advocates for fellow students in collaboration with ASAs from other universities. Sevan serves as the Vice President of Alpha Gamma Alpha, the Armenian sorority on her campus, a role in which she fosters community among Armenian women.
Director of Student Engagement and Armenian Culture Teacher
David Djalayan
Raised in Glendale, CA, David is actively involved in Armenian performing arts, including music, dance, and singing. He taught music theory, percussion, and instrumental studies at Lark Musical Society, a Glendale non-profit organization. Additionally, he served as a counselor and volunteer coordinator for Lark's summer day camp. David’s dedication to the arts earned him an Honorable Member Award from Lilia Margaryan Dance Studio. David attends UCSD where he studies Behavioral Neuroscience and serves as the President of the Armenian Student Association (UCSD ASA). In this role, he fosters cultural pride and community engagement, encouraging Armenian UCSD students to act as positive role models for younger generations. As Director of Student Engagement at St. Sarkis Sunday School, David nurtures each student’s potential and strengthens the community through the celebration of Armenian culture.
Eastern Armenian Teacher
Emma Dolinyan
Emma is a fourth fourth year Psychology student at University of California San Diego (UCSD). She was born and raised in Armenia and moved with her family to the United States in 2017. Throughout her academic journey, Emma volunteered in teaching roles, which strengthened her passion for helping others learn and grow. As an active member of the Armenian Student Association at UCSD, Emma contributes to the Armenian community and stays connected to her cultural roots. She's eager to contribute to her role as a teacher at St. Sarkis where she will impart knowledge of the Armenian language onto the next generation.
Eastern Armenian Teacher
Lilit Ghochikyan
Lilit Ghochikyan is a dedicated professional with over 8 years of experience working for the Food and Drug Administration of Armenia. Born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia, she and her husband Karen relocated to San Diego 7 years ago, where they now live with their two daughters. Lilit joined St. Sarkis Sunday School in 2022 with a strong commitment to fostering Armenian identity among the students. She believes that Armenia’s prosperity relies on the efforts of dedicated professionals, which drives her passion for supporting early education and guiding students in their exploration of Armenian culture, language, and traditions. Lilit values her position at the school not only for its academic impact, but also for its role in building a tight knit Armenian community through friendships among children and families. Above all, she finds joy in working with kids and cherishes the excitement and smiles they bring.
St. Sarkis Youth Director, ACYO Fellowship Teacher
Christina Kirakossian
Christina is first generation Armenian American, born in Los Angeles and raised in San Diego. She has been an active member and volunteer of the San Diego Armenian Church community since 1989. Her first language is Armenian, and she attended Saturday Language School, Sunday School, and ACYO. Christina and her husband Emil, have two children, Niko, 15 and Sofia, 13 - both attend Sunday School and are ACYO members. Christina is a licensed Real Estate Advisor and also manages her family’s car rental business, LONGTERMCAR, here in San Diego. As St. Sarkis Youth Director, Christina dedicates her time to educating and inspiring our ACYO members. Christina and her husband also volunteer at Hye Camp each summer. “Our youth, our future. Let’s invest - any way we can.”
Eastern Armenian Teacher
Lilit Naghdalyan
Lilit Naghdalyan grew up in Yerevan, Armenia. She graduated from Armenian State University of Economics with an honors diploma. Before moving to San Diego, she worked in KPMG as a senior auditor. She is an ACCA member and holds an international accounting and auditing license. Lilit has been actively involved in Armenian Sunday School since 2017. Lilit is married and blessed with two wonderful kids who also attend Armenian Sunday School. Lilit enjoys teaching and is grateful to be part of wonderful Armenian community of San Diego.
Eastern Armenian Teacher
Susanna Sargsyan
Susanna was born and raised in Armenia. She studied clothing construction in Armenia and currently works as an alterations specialist. Susanna enjoys exploring Armenian stitch styles in her embroidery work. She moved to San Diego with her husband and daughter 10 years ago. Her children attend St. Sarkis Armenian Sunday School and she feels very honored to be part of the learning journey for our Sunday School students.
Western Armenian Teacher
Angie Semerjian
Angie is a junior at the University of California San Diego where she studies math and computer science. She grew up in Glendale, CA and has been active in the Armenian community. At UCSD Angie teaches Armenian, is a proud member of the Armenian Student Association, and the President of Alpha Gamma Alpha Armenian Sorority. She is excited to be a part of the St. Sarkis team.
Eastern Armenian Teacher
Romina Zarian
Romina was born and raised within the Armenian community in Iran, where she developed a strong connection to her heritage from a young age. After completing high school, she embarked on a journey that would take her across continents, first moving to Europe, then Canada, and ultimately finding her home in the beautiful city of San Diego, California.
Throughout her life, Romina has remained deeply involved in Armenian communities wherever she has lived. Her commitment to preserving and promoting Armenian culture is evident in her various roles and activities. Professionally, she works in healthcare, but her passion for teaching and cultural preservation is equally significant.
Romina has been teaching the Armenian language at St. Sarkis Armenian School for the past three years, where she finds immense joy and fulfillment in fostering a love for the language and culture among young students. She views this role as both a privilege and a responsibility, striving to ensure that the rich heritage of the Armenian people is passed down to the next generation.
