Nick Sahakyan is a full-time professor of Armenian at Glendale Community College and is also a published writer. His short stories have won numerous awards, and he ties his stories into the classes that he teaches. 

Nick Sahakyan started out at GCC as an adjunct professor in 2004. Now, he is a full-time professor  of Armenian and a published writer. In his early years, he taught Armenian for beginners. After the program’s expansion in 2006, Sahakyan began to teach Armenian to native speakers as well as offering literature courses. Sahakyan, who has been teaching for 21 years, received his MA in Armenian language and literature from Yerevan State University in 1987. 

Outside of teaching, Sahakyan is a published writer. “In 2010, my novel, “Treasures of the Temple Gisaneh” was named the Best novel of the Diaspora by the Readers Club in Armenia,” Sahakyan said. “One of my short stories, “The Magic Chest,” was also recognized as the best short story of 2023 by the Pan Armenian Writers Union.” 

Sahakyan ties his passion for writing into the classes that he teaches. His second novel, “Treasures of the Temple Gisaneh” is based on Armenian mythology and he even recommends his students to read it. He mainly writes fiction based on history, mythology and philosophy. 

“Nick Sahakyan is one of our strongest educators, with students often remarking about how knowledgeable he is about the subject matter,” said Professor Cohen-Schorr, a Journalism professor. “He’s written short stories in Armenian, including one that was published in December in our department’s first literary magazine. Prof. Sahakyan’s wife, Arevik Mikaelian, also teaches Armenian at the college. They’re absolutely wonderful educators, and students who want to improve or learn Armenian should very much consider taking their courses. Language is a gateway that opens so many professional and personal doors.”

Sahakyan started writing short stories in grade school after reading science fiction novels. He was particularly fascinated by Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and some Armenian Sci-Fi writers, Ashot Shaybon and Karen Simonyan. “I like reading classics, modern literature and philosophy in general,” Sahakyan said. “The author that has had a profound influence on my work is the mythologist, Joseph Campbell.” 

Sahakyan’s works are available for purchase on the Barnes and Noble website or on Amazon. 

Vanya Arakelian can be reached at [email protected].