Many TFAS alumni say they will never forget the relationships they formed with their peers, professors and staff during their program. Shant Boyajian (LSI 08), a Legal Studies Institute alumnus said he not only met unforgettable people during his TFAS experience, but also learned how to develop and maintain the professional network that has contributed to his success today.

“TFAS reinforced the importance of developing and maintaining a professional network,” Boyajian said. “These skills are a key component to any professional career in D.C. or anywhere else, and that’s a big lesson I learned at LSI.”

Boyajian now serves as counsel, Highways and Transit Subcommittee, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, U.S. House of Representatives. He is responsible for all of the procedural, jurisdictional and legal aspects of the subcommittee’s work. Back in 2008, LSI greatly impacted his professional direction and started a foundation to build to where he is now. Boyajian interned at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. At the internship he did a lot of research and writing on international law and issues relating to citizenship and displaced populations.

“I really thought it was interesting to use the skills I had started to develop in law school in a way that was directly focused on helping people in a policy context,” Boyajian said.

TFAS reinforced the importance of developing and maintaining a professional network.”

After LSI, Boyajian received a law degree from The Catholic University of America.  His first job on Capitol Hill resulted from the network he had started building during his TFAS program. Boyajian continued to build the network through his final years of law school, and has been expanding the network since then.

“The relationships I’ve made with Roger Ream (ICPES 76), Steve Slattery and some of my LSI classmates, those are lasting relationships that have been very fruitful to me personally as well as professionally,” Boyajian said.

One of his favorite aspects of TFAS in general is the classroom and discussion component of the programs.

“TFAS fosters conversations about issues that may be more theoretical in nature but have a pressing importance in the way we live our lives and the culture in our country today. I think it’s great that TFAS supports and fosters those types of conversation,” Boyajian said.

Boyajian’s TFAS peers value his leadership and interpersonal skills and nominated him to be a member of the 2014 TFAS Alumni Council. The mission of the council is to engage alumni to keep them connected with the TFAS community, and promote the TFAS mission.

He said one of his goals as a council member is to help raise the profile of TFAS, sharing information about the programs and mission with his friends and colleagues.

“I wanted to be a part of the council because I felt like it was a way for me to help develop and foster the success of TFAS.” I thought it would be a way for me to give back to the organization and other alumni,” Boyajian said.

To find out more about the TFAS Alumni Council and its mission, visit www.TFAS.org/AlumniCouncil.