Today, we’d like to introduce you to Narine Sarkissian.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Narine Sarkissian. I am the President, CEO & Owner, U.S. Ling Institute, (www.usling.edu). I was born in Armenia, one of the Former Soviet States (USSR). After having graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in History and English from Yerevan State Pedagogical University of Foreign and Russian Languages, I worked as a history teacher at a secondary school. In addition, I taught English as a Foreign Language at the Department of Intensive Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages at the State Pedagogical University of Armenia.
In 1993, I was accepted into Brigham Young University’s (BYU) Master’s program in Linguistics and came to the U.S. to pursue my graduate studies. On May 23, 1993, I entered the USA with only $300 in my pocket after selling my daughter’s old piano and an antique rug inherited from my grandmother. After one year of graduate studies and receiving a Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language, I applied and was accepted to the Master in Business Administration program at the same university, which I completed in the summer of 1996.
Having earned two graduate degrees from a prominent American university, I felt empowered to pursue a corporate career. I was offered a position as a financial analyst at the Hunstman Chemical Corp., then the third-largest petrochemical company in America. The most inspiring part of my work at the Huntsman Chemical Corp. was my involvement in Jon Huntsman Sr.’s $50 million relief efforts in my home country, Armenia, which was utilized to build schools and hospitals and employ thousands of struggling native Armenians in the newly independent country. https://whoswhoofprofessionalwomen.com/narine-sarkissian/.
Jon Huntsman’s real motivation in his work and wealth accumulation was to give much of what he had to improve people’s lives, which inspired me to leave the corporate world and put my entrepreneurship spirit to work. On August 1, 2001, with my sister, Susanna Sarkissian-McPhilomy, Ph.D., I opened the U.S. Ling Institute, LLC- a Salt Lake-based English as Second Language school, having recruited only four students.
In 2013, an equal partnership dissolved when my sister decided to relocate to Alexandria, VA, and start her private language school. Since then, I have been the sole owner of the U.S. Ling Institute, accredited and certified by SEVP – The Student and Exchange Visitor Program, a program within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to manage foreign students and exchange visitors in the United States through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SE- VIS),” she says.
“The system is a critical tool in SEVP’s mission to protect national security while supporting the legal entry and stay of the more than one million non-immigrants coming to the United States for educational and cultural exchange programs.” Starting with only four students, the school has become one of Utah’s best language and college preparation programs, consistently retaining its accreditation status and preparing international students for admission to American universities or career advancement requiring English language proficiency.
The institution hosts students from 49 countries and has helped thousands achieve their educational and professional goals. I genuinely feel that the “open doors” policy makes a lot of difference in the business. I value every one of my administrative staff, as I let my team take action on their own and let them take responsibility and risks, which has been a great way to help us grow and develop new skills to improve our daily jobs. In the words of Princess Diana, “Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back.”
Growing up in a male-dominated society where millions of women’s voices are never heard and often forced to silence, and doors are shut on their faces, I learned to ignore that as an obstacle for two reasons, “I can’t change my gender and I refuse to give up on my dreams. Now is a wonderful time to be a woman in the United States of America. Barriers that once blocked women’s eligibility for leadership roles are being questioned and dismantled daily. “In Dr. Shawn Andrews’ book, The Power of Perception, the author explains that fewer women are in leadership, not because of a lack of skills but because of societal perceptions that women are just not “leadership material,” which many now know is false.
Women seeking leadership positions must continue to break down these false perceptions. The good news is that since women are now as well or more educated than men in the workforce, little can stand in the way of their rise to leadership positions. As an entrepreneur, I see the future of my company as becoming a worldwide franchise opportunity for women entrepreneurs.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road to success is never smooth. I struggled like any immigrant while being a single mother of a 14-year-old daughter whom I brought to this country to achieve the unimaginable dream – becoming a successful New York corporate attorney, which she has become after graduating from three prominent universities, including Columbia University.
But I believe that America is the only country where you can make your dreams come true, even if you have only $300 in your pocket. After all, this is the land of opportunities, and I was determined to climb every mountain while helping my daughter reach the top of the world… and she did.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
U.S. Ling Institute is an English as a Second Language (ESL) school in Murray, Utah. We provide intensive English language training for beginners to advanced levels, as well as TOEFL and college preparation courses. We invite students worldwide to enroll in our high-quality language program. We take a balanced and integrated approach to language training advancement, enabling our students to achieve the desired level of English proficiency and become effective communicators and insightful thinkers in all areas of their interests.
Our vision is to become one of the leading institutes in the United States of America by setting standards of excellence in innovative curriculum design, teaching, professional development, and cross-cultural understanding. We are committed to maintaining and developing a solid curriculum that encourages students to pursue educational and career advancement in desired academic and professional fields of interest.
We are committed to excellence in English as a Second Language teaching, which meets each student’s interests, abilities, and needs within a common curricular framework and reflects and promotes an understanding of and appreciation for diversity as an integral part of our school life. U.S. Ling Institute welcomes students of all genders, sexual orientations, and ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. Our teaching methodology and the selected materials are intentionally broad to expose the learners to various fields within English language training. The emphasis on critical thinking, creative and analytical writing, and research is essential in helping students advance their English fluency.
Our goal is to provide excellence in English as a Second Language teaching that meets each student’s interests, abilities, and needs within a common curricular framework and reflects and promotes an understanding of and appreciation for diversity as an integral part of our school life. To help adult students expand their English fluency by focusing on essential grammar and stimulating listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities that emphasize the language they need for real-world communication.
Our goal is to maintain excellence in teaching while engaging in best practices and staying informed of current trends and research in language learning and international education. We support a friendly and safe learning environment and promote professional development and continuous career growth for faculty and staff.
We are determined to support our state’s higher education institutions in their efforts to increase international student enrollment into their bachelor’s and/or master’s degree programs, and in doing so, we host university and college recruiting presentations to enlighten our students about the educational opportunities available to them at the institutions of higher education.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Walt Disney, “All our dreams come true if we dare to pursue them.” Success is never achieved without a failure.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.usling.edu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uslinginstitute/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uslingutah
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@uslinginstitute
Image Credits
Narine Sarkissian
