When Ani Alaberkyan was ten years old, her family came to Los Angeles as refugees from the former Soviet Union. This experience has shaped her life in such a way she plans to use her experiences and opportunities she had in the United States towards helping those suffering and affected by conflicts. She is majoring in Linguistics and Anthropology with Minors in Anthropology, Arabic, and International Migration Studies. Outside of class, she is heavily involved with undergraduate research and volunteering with a refugee settlement agency in Los Angeles. This year she is attempting many firsts: learning to speak Arabic, caring for a cat, and teaching a class on the history of cats. She plans to apply for PhD programs in Anthropology.