| What: | An event celebrating the school’s new namesake, H. Roger Tatarian |
| When: | Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022 10 a.m. |
| Where: | H. Roger TatarianElementary School 7120 N. Valentine Ave. (93711) |
H. Roger Tatarian Elementary School will host an event to recognize Mr. Tatarian’s accomplishments and honor his Armenian heritage. Speakers will include Superintendent Bob Nelson, members of the Fresno Unified Board of Education, Fresno State President Saul Jimenez-Sandoval, Principal Michele Markarian, Author Mark Arax, and Tatarian students. The celebration will also include Armenian music, food, and the Armenian Dance Group of Fresno. The event will be led by emcees Dr. Sergio La Porta and Alexan Balekian.
Mr. Tatarian, who passed away in 1995, was born in Fresno, graduated from Fresno State and launched an illustrious career as a newspaper journalist and editor, overseeing United Press International (UPI) news bureaus around the world. Upon retiring from UPI, Mr. Tatarian returned to Fresno to teach a new generation of journalists for 15 years. He is the only person to be named both outstanding alumnus and professor for Fresno State.
“Mr. Tatarian came from a humble background and overcame discrimination in his youth to rise to the pinnacle of his field – a story not unlike many of our students. We honor his example of hard work and determination to be the very best. I am proud that our district now has a school named for an Armenian-American, an honor long overdue in Fresno,” said Superintendent Bob Nelson.