[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 34 (Thursday, March 21, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 A TRIBUTE TO DR. RITA VORPERIAN, 27TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF 
                                THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 20, 2002

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Women's History Month. 
Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices 
made by our nation's most notable women during the month of March and 
it is my honor to not only recognize women of the past but to also 
recognize women who are making a difference in my community. While a 
month of remembrance is certainly not sufficient, I am honored today to 
pay homage to such women as Eleanor Roosevelt, Sandra Day O'Connor, 
Harriet Tubman, Sally Ride and all the women of my Congressional 
District, whose contributions have made a profound difference in the 
face and fabric of our nation.
  I honor today, Dr. Rita Vorperian. Dr. Vorperian currently serves as 
the Senior Administrator and Executive Secretary of the Armenian Relief 
Society of Western U.S.A. Regional Executive. In this capacity, Rita 
has fought hard to bring both humanitarian and economic relief to the 
people of Armenia and its government who are currently suffering 
through troubling economic times.
  A native of Aleppo, Syria, Rita is a graduate of the Karen Yeppe 
Armenian High School of Aleppo. She attended St. Joseph University in 
Beirut and graduated with a three-year course in higher Armenological 
studies. On her arrival in the United States, Rita enrolled at the 
University of California, Los Angeles where she attained her Bachelor 
of Arts degree in Near Eastern Studies, her Masters Degree in Near 
Eastern Languages and Cultures, and her PhD in Armenian literature and 
criticism.
  Her professional career is as exemplary as her educational 
background. She has been active in the field of journalism, making 
submissions to AZTAG Daily of Beirut, ASBAREZ of Los Angeles, and 
HATRENIK of Boston. She has also contributed essays and short stories 
to the literary magazine PAKINE of Beirut.
  Her mastery of seven languages including: Armenian, Arabic, French, 
English, Turkish, Spanish and Russian has helped her in her role as an 
advocate for the people of Armenia around the world in serving their 
humanitarian needs as well as helping to preserve the cultural heritage 
and identity of the Armenian people.
  Her work as the Senior Administrator and Executive Secretary of the 
Armenian National Relief Society of Western U.S.A. Regional Executive 
has helped establish a vital and enriched Armenian community in the 
27th Congressional District and she continues to work for cultural 
understanding and acceptance of the Armenian prople in America.
  I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring an 
outstanding and extraordinary woman of California's 27th Congressional 
District, Dr. Rita Vorperian. The entire community joins me in thanking 
Rita for her continued efforts to make the 27th Congressional District 
a more vibrant and culturally enriched place to live.

                          ____________________