Dr. Harout Khanjian was the first student ever accepted to Western University of Health Sciences, College of Optometry when it first started its charter class in 2009. During his years as a medical student, he remembered how difficult it was being a husband, father to a newborn, and employed as the executive director of Nvision Laser Eye Centers Pasadena all while hosting his live television program every monday. Handling these commitments and excelling at each requires well roundness and balance as an individual. Upon graduation, Dr. Khanjian wanted to find ways to give back to the program and initiated the Dr Harout Khanjian Scholarship Award. The monetary scholarship is awarded annually to a Western University of a Health Sciences, College of Optometry student who demonstrates academic excellence while maintaining a balance between personal and professional commitments. The trophy’s design shows two individuals joining hands to form a circle, being well rounded. One of them is the student and the other is the individual outside of school. Being able to excel at both, while maintaining a balance, is a tell-tale sign of a successful physician. Too often we award the students with the highest gpa’s and assume that those individuals would be the most successful. Dr. Khanjian always believed that every student has the potential to be successful at school and earn high marks, if academics were the only priority. Life does not work that way, especially after graduation, and it is for that purpose he established this scholarship to recognize those that currently have that hardship with personal commitments outside of school and have found the balance to be able to excel academically.
2017 Recipient – Dr. Josh Dalley
2018 Recipient – Dr. David Hernandez
2019 Recipient- Dr. Jeremy Huang
