The John Aroutiounian Fellowship
The John Aroutiounian Fellowship (JAF), the flagship student fellows program of the Abigail Adams Institute (AAI), is designed for select undergraduate and graduate students who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to holistic intellectual exploration, free and open dialogue, community-building, and alignment with AAI’s mission of promoting truth-seeking humanistic inquiry.
The JAF recognizes young men and women of talent and ambition who have demonstrated an ability to cultivate peer and intergenerational communities of intellectual and moral virtue. Fellows are personally invited to apply and must additionally be nominated by one or more peers, ensuring a cohort marked by both excellence and integrity. The annual cohort consists of a mix of undergraduates and graduate students from Harvard and other Boston-area universities.
Fellowship Experience
John Aroutiounian Fellows participate in a yearlong program that includes:
Monthly Fellowship Breakfasts
Intimate conversations with faculty and subject matter expertsCultural and Historical Excursions
Visits to sites of artistic, historical, and cultural significance across New EnglandAnnual Retreats
Weekend getaways for reflection, reading, and shared dialogueSupport for Independent Work
Guidance and resources for scholarly projects like thesis workshopping, student lectures, reading groups, film nights, written reflections, and student-led eventsPrivate Events with Guest Lecturers
Reserved access to high-profile speakers and visiting scholarsMentorship and Advising
One-on-one guidance from Institute staff and senior fellowsIntegration into the AAI Network
Lifelong connection to a growing community of alumni, scholars, and public thinkers
Fellowship Impact
Fellows help advance the Institute’s mission through:
Leadership
Spearheading academic initiatives and acting as a leader and mentor for their peers in the AAI communityAmbassadorship
Representing the Institute on their campus, assisting with event promotion and introducing classmates and faculty to AAI’s workCommunity-building
Fostering a culture of intellectual fellowship and cultivating a united community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and supporters
Honoring the Legacy of John Aroutiounian
The Fellowship honors John Aroutiounian, a brilliant young scholar whose academic brilliance, deep faith, intellectual passion, and generous spirit left a lasting impact on everyone he met. A Yale (2015) graduate in History and Ethics, Politics & Economics (EP&E), John later earned a master’s in Classical Armenian Studies at Oxford. He was in his second year at Columbia Law School and a recipient of the prestigious Dolores Zohrab Liebman Fellowship when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
John was a citizen of the world—fluent in several languages, widely traveled, and vocally proud of both his Armenian heritage and his American identity. An excellent speaker and a prolific writer, John was well-versed in matters of faith, culture, religion, politics and society, and lived his life in the light of the Armenian Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions.
John departed this earthly life on May 3, 2019 at the age of 26, but his infinite presence is with us always. His legacy lives on through the lives he touched and through his posthumously published collection of essays, Finding Gold in the Dark: Reflections on Modern America, Virtue, and Faith, which the Institute was honored to help publish.
