valley sun all-star ani bezirdzhyan:
A passion for crafting words sets this CV All Star apart from her classmates. Ani Bezirdzhyan, a junior at Clark Magnet High School, recently won the Los Angeles County Poetry Out Loud National County Competition and will compete in the statewide competition in March.
Bezirdzhyan’s creative writing and poetry teacher at the high school, Maral Guarino, said the youth is “an amazing poet and individual.”
“From the first moment I heard her recite a poem, I knew she had a passion for poetry that mesmerized everyone,” Guarino said, adding, “Her words come from an intuitive understanding of the world; this is quite rare for someone her age. Her words are magical and she weaves them together as a skilled artist uses shades, tones and perspective.”
Guarino has high praise for a student she calls “compassionate and conscientious.”
“[Bezirdzhyan’s] positive attitude and willingness to listen, learn and grow are admirable. With many things to be proud of, Ani is still a humble and unassuming young lady,” Guarino said.
Bezirdzhyan is the daughter of Marine Gadzhan and Robert Bezirdzhyan of Glendale. She has a sister, Hasmik, 21, a student at Brooks Institute for Photography in Santa Barbara, and a brother, Alex, 8, a third-grade student at Horace Mann Elementary School in Glendale.
Bezirdzhyan said she developed a love of the written word as a small child, watching her older sister deeply entranced by a book or writing in a journal. “Every time I’d open her journal I’d be amazed at the poetry,” she said, adding sheepishly that she really wasn’t supposed to read her older sister’s journal.
The younger sister began writing her own poems while in the sixth grade. She also loves a variety of authors, including the works of Edgar Alan Poe and Wilfred Owens.
“I really don’t have a favorite author,” she said, adding, “Every author has their own amazing poem that awakens you to the wonders of the world.”
In addition to her enchanting way with words and delightful demeanor, Bezirdzhyan enjoys the art of dance, which she has studied and performed since the age of 5. She began learning Armenian folk dances and for the past six years has charmed crowds with her passion for Latin ballroom dancing.
She also likes learning and is proud of her academic achievements. This past semester she earned a 4.0 grade point average and has a cumulative GPA of 3.85.
After high school, Bezirdzhyan will attend a four-year university, possibly majoring in English. She plans to someday write a book of poetry.
IF YOU’D LIKE TO NOMINATE an exceptional young person to be a Valley Sun All Star who lives in La Crescenta or is a student here, e-mail us at cveditorial@ valleysun.net.