Watertown Student Honored as One of Top From Mass. Colleges

Watertown resident and Mass Bay Community College student Ani Keshishyan was named one of the "29 Who Shine" and was honored by Gov. Patrick at State House on Thursday, May 12, along with 28 other graduates of Massachusetts public colleges and universities.

Keshishyan received the recognition for both her academic achievement and her contributions to the Bay State.

At the age of 10, Keshishyan came to the United States from Armenia with her family. Neither she nor any member of her family spoke English. To help support her family, she spend the first few weeks of her time in America working as a seamstress for a relative, with whom her family was staying at the time. 

She focused on learning English, and took honors classes in high school. As a sophomore year, she participate din Summer Search, a program for low-income students to provide opportunities and support to reach their potential as role models and leaders.

Keshishyan demonstrated her leadership skills as the MassBay Business Club's director of marketing, public relations and communication and, currently, president. As a leader and mentor to her fellow club members, executive board officers, and fellow students.

The 29 Who Shine honorees range in age from 17 to 52, hail from each of the state’s 29 public higher education campuses (community college, state universities and the UMass campuses), which are located in 25 cities and towns across the state. Each student was nominated for the award by faculty and staff at their campuses.

“Each one of these student is a success story in her or his own right and as a group they remind us of the power of public higher education to change lives,” said Massachusetts Education Secretary Paul Reville in a release. “Their achievements affirm the Patrick-Murray Administration’s commitment to supporting and investing in our public colleges and universities.”