A SECRET
SAVIOR
By Harut Sassounian
from the california courierI
n 1968, I was a student at the
Levon & Sophia Hagopian Ar-
menian High School in Beirut.
When the time came to register
for tenth grade, I went to the
principal’s office and told the staff
my parents could not pay the tu-
ition. Although I was the top student
in my class, I was sent home. This
was a heartbreaking experience, as I
loved being in school and desperately
wanted to continue my education.
I went home and spent the day
helping my father at his tire-repair
shop. He could barely earn enough to
pay the tuition of my two siblings.
A very old man saw me in the shop
and wondered why I was not in school.
I told him I was sent home because of
lack of funding. He offered to help by
calling the principal of another school
to ask him to register me tuition-free.
Even though the school was far away
from my home, I could not pass up
the opportunity to continue my edu-
cation. I took a city bus to downtown
Beirut and went to the principal’s of-
fice. Embarrassed to tell him that I was
supposed to get free tuition, I told the
principal that arrangements had been
made for me to study at a discountedBIG FOOD
FOR
BIG DAYS