Student Feature: Juliette Hagobian

The Ferrahian Post takes pride in providing not only a platform for students to express their opinions but also a palce in which the notable accomplishments of our students are displayed and celebrated! One of the most well-accomplished members of the senior class is Juliette Hagobian. Juliette is currently a member of the varsity girls basketball team, the president of the Poetry Club, and an avid writer! In this interview, get to know more about Juliette, her accomplishments, and her overall Ferrahian experience! 

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How has Ferrahian shaped your views on the world? 

My perception and view of the world have definitely changed because of Ferrahian. As I grew up in Ferrahian, there were certain parts of life I had to learn on my own. Whether that meant time management, responsibility, courage, quick thinking, or ways to reach out. I learned I need to seek out opportunities, like publications open for submissions or volunteer opportunities that fit my future career. I learned very quickly that these types of chances are ones that I need to seek out, and it is my responsibility to pursue them. Though Ferrahian gave me many opportunities to grow as a diligent student, I had to mature at a quicker pace if I wanted my career to sprout sooner. 

What do you hope to study at the university level, and why? 

I am hoping to pursue either psychology or English/creative writing at a university level. I am infatuated with the humanities, and I also love literature and writing. I am eager and hungry to evolve my knowledge in a college setting while surrounded by equal-minded students.

What do you do in your free time?

The idea of “free time” to me at the moment seems comical because of the plethora of responsibilities and activities I have. Still, when I do find time to relax, I am usually reading poetry books or working on outer projects. Outside of my schoolwork/life, I work for an online literary magazine, Kalopsia Literary. Most of my free time consists of reading and editing other poets’ works and giving them constructive criticism. I also read and write my own poetry in my free time. Finding the energy and time to do this is like finding a rare new species of birds, but my passion for them comes through and gives me the power to write. I read authors like Franny Choi, Richard Siken, Rhiannon McGavin, Sylvia Plath, and the usual Poetry Foundation ``Poem of the Day.” These writers inspire me to write my own poetry and edit them for submission. I’m also probably baking banana bread, dancing in my room like a mosquito, or playing Google solitaire on my computer.

Where did your passion for poetry and writing come from? 

I always thought that my name naturally gave me a passion for writing. The writing was and still is an act that is comforting and allowed me to express the thoughts that simmered below the surface. My passion for writing started in elementary school; my second-grade and fifth-grade English teachers Ms. Taline and Mrs. Guzelian made me mesmerized with English. I independently wrote stories and journal entries which probably resulted in three finished notebooks before graduating from elementary school. In middle school, I was introduced to the art of poetry, but my passion for poetry started in high school when I joined our school’s Poetry Club, which was led and founded by Sarkis Antonyan and Alicia Tufenkjian from the class of 2022. I filled the blank circle next to the “Poetry Club” option on the emailed google form out of impulse and intrigue; it was somehow calling my name like a mother does to her child. I was already familiar with the basics of poetry, but through the club, my perception and creativity were forever altered. I learned how to bend words and their definitions, how to write in forms like villanelles and ghazals, and how to look at the subject from different perspectives. Because of those Thursday meetings, I am now published, a part of an amazing literary magazine team, performing my pieces at live slam poetry events, and the current president of the Poetry Club.

What is your favorite Ferrahian memory? 

A large batch of my favorite Ferrahian memories have been made in Ms. Barseghyan’s room during lunchtime. I would grab my lunch from school and rush back up to her classroom to eat and chit-chat with my friends. I found her room to be a place of solace and comfort, where my expression was not questioned or seen as peculiar. I remember performing High School Musical songs to the other students in the room like I was Gabriella; becoming comfortable with reading my poetry during Poetry Club; scrambling to figure out the riddles of pre-calculus problems; and bonding over Timothee Chalamet and slam poetry videos. Every lunch hour in her room allowed me to make bonds with not only my classmates but upperclassmen whom I have befriended. Smiles and laughter were knitted into one another like a homemade blanket.

Where and what have you published your works? 

In 2022, I had three of my original poems published. The first two, “I am a pencil sharpener” and “summer in the flesh,” have been published in the online literary magazine Filter Coffee Zine. These poems focus on feminist subjects and how it feels to live as a woman or someone who identifies as a woman in today’s society. My third poem, “my letter to the missed Armenian ''  has been published on h-pem and was a winner of the International Armenian Literary Alliance’s Young Armenian Poet Awards of 2022. This poem discusses the Armenian genocide and the innocent lives lost along the way. This poem was inspired by a time when I, along with my AYF Camp mates, wrote a letter to the Armenian soldiers fighting for our motherland thousands of miles away from me. I am very grateful to have my pieces published, and I encourage every young writer to submit their works to online literary magazines too!

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Links To Juliet's Publications: 

• https://www.filtercoffeezine.com/issue-3

  • Two poems, “summer in the flesh” “I am a pencil sharpener” (Juliette's Poem is on Page 34 of the Digital Magazine) 

• https://www.h-pem.com/en/collaborations/2022/04/04/iala-x-h-pem-my-letter-to-the-missed-armenian/55

  • One poem, “my letter to the missed armenian”