Marina J. Keuchkarian gave birth to her fifth child in February 2020, just before—as she puts it—“everything hit the fan.”
After a spring and summer of hunkering down under pandemic restrictions, local parents started emailing her. “Congrats on your baby, so happy for you—when can you start your classes?” she recalled.
kAm(92E E96J H6C6 2D<:?8 23@FE H2D 2 =:EE=6 324<J2C5 9:A 9@A 4=2DD 7@C 49:=5C6? |D] z6F49<2C:2? 925 DE2CE65[ 324< H96? E9:?8D H6C6 ?@C>2=]k^Am
kAm“x =@G6 52?4:?8[” D96 D2:5] “xE’D E96 @?=J E9:?8 :? =:76 x ?6G6C DE@AA65 5@:?8]”k^Am
kAm#6DEC:4E:@?D H6C6 =@@D6?:?8 E92E 72== E@ A6C>:E =:>:E65 @FE5@@C 82E96C:?8D[ 2?5 |D] z6F49<2C:2? C6DFCC64E65 96C 9@>6DAF? 52?46 D6DD:@?D] %96J EFC?65 @FE E@ 36 2 C6=:67 G2=G6 7@C 5@K6?D @7 72>:=:6D]k^Am
kAm“qJ E96 6?5 @7 E92E D49@@= J62C x 925 b_ E@ c_ <:5D :? >J 324<J2C5[” D96 D2:5] “|@C6 2?5 >@C6 >@>D H6C6 E6==:?8 6249 @E96C[ 3642FD6 E96C6 H6C6 ?@ DA@CED[ 2?5 D@ 2== E96D6 <:5D H9@ H6C6 ?@C>2==J 2E9=6E6D 5:5 ?@E 92G6 E96:C 24E:G:E:6D]”k^Am
kAm!2C6?ED A2:5 7@C E96 4=2DD6D[ 4C62E:?8 2 H6=4@>6 DEC62>=6E @7 :?4@>6 2E 2 E:>6 H96? 96C 9FD32?5’D C6DE2FC2?E 3FD:?6DD H2D 36:?8 D@C6=J E6DE65]k^Am
kAmpD D96 96=A65 >@C6 2?5 >@C6 DEF56?ED 86E 36EE6C 2E 9:A 9@A[ |D] z6F49<2C:2? D4@FC65 E96 4@>>F?:EJ 7@C 2 A=246 E96J 4@F=5 AFE @? 2 D9@H] $96 4@?G:?465 E96 r@@?2>6DD6EE x?? E@ =6E 96C 3@@< EH@ D6A2C2E6[ A2?56>:4\4@>A=:2?E 2F5:6?46 D62E:?8D @7 23@FE `__ A6@A=6 6249] $96 42==65 E96 D9@H “D@4:2= 5:D\52?46]”k^Am
kAm(92E 92AA6?65 2E E9@D6 A6C7@C>2?46D :D D2:5 E@ 92G6 366? 72:C=J >28:42=i “2 4@D>:4 2=:8?>6?E[” :? 96C H@C5D]k^Am
kAmpD 2 4FCE2:? 42== 27E6C E96 52?4:?8[ E96 49:=5C6? 96=5 FA =2C86 D:8?D E92E C625[ “%@ @FC A2C6?ED 2?5 =@G65 @?6D[ E92?< J@F 7@C >2<:?8 E9:D J62C 2D ‘?@C>2=’ 2D A@DD:3=6]”k^Am
kAm“%96 A2C6?ED H6C6 =:<6[ @9 >J 8@5[ 32H=:?8] x>>65:2E6=J 32H=:?8[” |D] z6F49<2C:2? D2:5] “%96J’G6 366? C62==J DECF88=:?8 E@ <66A 2 ?@C>2= D6?D6 @7 =:76 7@C E96 <:5 2?5 E92E =:EE=6 E92?< J@F >62?E 2 =@E 7@C E96>]”k^Am
kAm“%96C6 H6C6 D@ >2?J A6@A=6[ 6DA64:2==J E96 8C2?5A2C6?ED[ H9@ 925?’E =67E E96:C 9@FD6[” C642==65 %2>>J {] x?>2?[ H9@D6 E9C66 52F89E6CD 52?46 H:E9 |D] z6F49<2C:2?] “tG6CJ@?6 H2D ;FDE D@ @G6C;@J65 E92E H6 H6C6 E@86E96C 282:?]”k^Am
kAm%96 A2C6?ED 2E E92E 6G6?E 3642>6 2 DFAA@CE EC:36 7@C |D] z6F49<2C:2?[ 2?5 E96J FC865 96C E@ DE2CE 96C @H? DEF5:@]k^Am
kAm$96 A2CE?6C65 H:E9 v6E u:E 962=E9 4=F3 :? }@CE9 u2=>@FE9 E@ 3F:=5 @FE 2 C@DE6C @7 4=2DD6D[ :?4=F5:?8 32==6E[ ;2KK[ E2A 2?5 >@56C?[ :? 255:E:@? E@ 9:A 9@A] “%96 s2?46 $A246” H2D 3@C?]k^Am
kAmw6C DEF56?E C@DE6C BF:4<=J 5@F3=65[ 7C@> ed E@ `a_]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 >@C6 3@JD E92? >@DE DEF5:@D 92G6[ 2?5 E92E’D 3642FD6 @7 r~'xs[” |D] z6F49<2C:2? D2:5] “q@JD E92E ?@C>2==J H@F=5?’E 52?46 H6C6 H:==:?8 E@ ECJ :E[ 2?5 =@G65 :E[ 3642FD6 x 862C65 :E E@H2C5D E96>] w:A 9@A 42? 36 G6CJ >2D4F=:?6]”k^Am
kAmp55:E:@?2==J[ A2C6?ED 42>6 E@ 96C H:E9 C6A62E65 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE H92E E96:C 49:=5C6? D9@F=5 H62C 2?5 H96C6 E96J D9@F=5 3FJ :E] |D] x?>2?’D >@E96C[ s:2?6 s] vF>>@H[ H9@ @H?D E96 3F:=5:?8[ D2H 2 3FD:?6DD @AA@CEF?:EJ 2?5 @776C65 |D] z6F49<2C:2? 2 C6E2:= DA246 FADE2:CD]k^Am
kAm“pE 7:CDE x E9@F89E x 42?’E 5@ E92E] x 92G6 7:G6 <:5D—x 42?’E CF? 2 D9@A 2?5 2 DEF5:@[” |D] z6F49<2C:2? C642==65] “p?5 E96? x D2:5[ |2C:?2[ D9FE FA—J6D J@F 42?]”k^Am
kAm$96 DE2CE65 7F=7:==:?8 @C56CD :? 96C D9@A 7@C =6@E2C5D[ E:89ED[ %\D9:CED 2?5 @E96C 52?46 2AA2C6=] $96 2=D@ DE@4<65 E96 D96=G6D H:E9 3C@HD23=6 :E6>D =:<6 J@82 A2?ED[ 9:A 9@A\DEJ=6 ;24<6ED[ 2?5 4@?D:8?>6?E ;6H6=CJ]k^Am
kAmx? E96 324< C@@>[ |D] z6F49<2C:2? DE2CE65 2 “=62G6 2?5 E2<6” 3@I[ H96C6 A2C6?ED 42? 36?67:E 7C@> 92?5\>6\5@H?D 2D 49:=5C6? @FE8C@H E96:C 52?46 4=@E96D]k^Am
kAmp A@D:E:G6 7665324< =@@A 6?DF65] (@C5 @7 >@FE9 5C@G6 E96 4=2DD6D[ 2?5 E96 4=2DD6D 5C@G6 FADE2:CD C6E2:=] $96 92D 9:C65 EH@ @E96C E62496CD E@ 244@>>@52E6 8C@H:?8 56>2?5]k^Am
kAmqFKK 92D 366? 8C@H:?8 23@FE %96 s2?46 $A246[ 6DA64:2==J 27E6C :ED DEF56?ED E@@< 7:CDE A=246 :? E96 a_aa u2=>@FE9 r9C:DE>2D !2C256] “(96? H6 H@?[ H6 H6C6 @G6C E96 >@@?[” |D] z6F49<2C:2? D2:5] “x’> @? E96 >2A[ x’> 2 C62= A=246]”k^Am
kAmx? |D] z6F49<2C:2?’D 6DE:>2E:@?[ %96 s2?46 $A246 92D 364@>6 2 <:?5 @7 6>3@5:65 DJ>3@= 7@C r~'xs C6DFC86?46] “r~'xs C62==J >256 A6@A=6 H2?E E@ D66 DF446DD 3642FD6 H6 H6C6 D66:?8 D@ >F49 72:=FC6 =67E 2?5 C:89E[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm{@42= 52?46 4=2DD6D E92E 3682? 2D 2 C:EF2= @7 567:2?E ?@C>2=4J :? E96 7246 @7 :D@=2E:@? 92G6 6G@=G65 :?E@ 2? 6IA2?5:?8 42C66C 7@C 2 >@E96C @7 7:G6 H:E9 2 <?24< 2?5 A2DD:@? 7@C E6249:?8 52?46]k^Am
kAm“$96 ;FDE 92D E9:D H2J 23@FE 96C[” |D] x?>2? D2:5] “%96 49:=5C6?[ 7C@> E96 :EEJ 3:EEJ @?6D E@ E96 E66?286CD[ ;FDE 8C2G:E2E6 E@H2C5D 96C]”k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.