Hayk Poghosyan, a graduate of Verdugo Hills High School who plans on attending  Princeton, was among 11 LA County high school seniors who is a 2025 Milken Scholar. 

The scholarship program, a joint initiative of the Milken Institute and the Milken Family Foundation, honors high school seniors in Los Angeles County, Washington, D.C. and New York City each year with a $10,000 cash prize and lifelong access to college advising, career counseling, internship assistance, community service opportunities and a fund to help with graduate school applications, unpaid internships, study abroad programs and other costs associated with their pursuit of a career.

In 2012, Poghosyan moved to the U.S. from Armenia. Now, capitalizing on his various passions, Poghosyan finds unique ways to make a difference as a tutor, community service leader and artist. After earning the nickname “Mr. American” at an Armenian summer camp due to his expert help with translation and homework review, Poghosyan founded the Overseas English Tutoring Camp where he sits as president and teaches reading, writing and comprehension lessons. He utilized his roles as president of his school’s Key Club and vice president of a six-school Key Club division to revive a local art center that faced significant funding cuts after closing during COVID. Poghosyan’s dedication to fundraising and rallying volunteers helped restore many free community programs at the art center, earning Poghosyan the Bronze Service, Club of the Year, and President of the Year awards.

Valedictorian of Verdugo Hills High School, Poghosyan will be the first in his family to attend college. He joined and started his school’s Mathworks Modeling Challenge national team and has become an AP Scholar with Distinction. For over a year he worked as a Mathnasium tutor helping teach math to K-12 students. His aptitude for math served him well in his roles as treasurer for the Class of 2025 and his school’s STEMM Magnet Leadership club, where he developed a free Tutoring Tuesdays program and raised over $30,000 to organize senior class events.

Outside of the classroom, Poghosyan was on the varsity tennis team, interned for a state senator’s congressional campaign, and served on the Appellate Court for YMCA Youth and Government.

Poghosyan will study electrical engineering and philosophy at Princeton and plans a career as a patent attorney.