Alexander Agbabian & Global Mindedness
Mr. Agbabian working on his friend’s film, Songs from the Sky, from 2024
Many students know Mr. Agbabian as a Spanish Teacher, but fewer might know about his hobby of learning French, his love for movies, or the story behind his favorite hiking trail.
Despite his background in the Spanish language, French has always been on Mr. Agbabian’s mind. He often catches himself wondering how things he knows in Spanish may sound in French. “Although I chose to study Spanish, French has been a persistent curiosity in my brain for years,” he explains. The appeal is also geographic: “The US—for as many millions of Spanish speakers there are—is also bordered to the north by a French speaking country in Canada. Why not learn our northern neighbor’s language as well?”
But French isn’t the only new skill Mr. Agbabian has been exploring. He loves “listening to music, learning about artists, making playlists, and thinking about how songs can interact with each other”. DJing brings all of these passions together. He explains, “I have a desire to mix the best possible track at the best possible moment: for a party, for hanging out with friends, for a celebration, whatever.”
In fact, his interest in “filmmakers’ decisions regarding music or soundtracks for their films” can be traced back to a specific scene from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, when Miles Morales sneaks into the subway with his uncle to spray paint graffiti. The scene, paired with the track “The Choice is Yours” by Black Sheep, left a big impression. As Mr. Agbabian describes, “It’s my favorite scene in the film… and it’s perfect. Like, what other song could possibly fit that well—in that moment of the film—with those visuals?!”
As many may have guessed, Mr. Agbabian’s love for films goes beyond soundtracks. Among his favorites are Ladybird by Greta Gerwig, Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man, and the documentary Paris is Burning. He also values heartfelt coming-of-age stories like Love, Simon. “In fiction films, I love a “coming of age” story, in which the film tells the story of a period of time where a character is coming into their own in life,” he shares. He even has a recommendation for Newman students: “there’s a documentary from the Maysles Brothers called Salesman. It’s from 1969. If there’s one film I would recommend that everyone see, it’d be this one.”
Outside of films, language and music, Mr. Agbabian enjoys nature through hiking. He describes, “Some of my favorite trails in the world are trails that I can come back to consistently throughout the year, meaning that they’re walks or hikes that are close to where I live.” In Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he lived for 9 years, this included a loop in the Aman Park. For him, it is magical to experience a place’s seasonal, daily, and weather changes and visit it with different people. Mr. Agbabian also has a strong personal connection to the trail in Aman Park. He explains, “I asked my boyfriend (and now— 6 years later—my fiancé) to date me on that trail. I’ve practiced Spanish, listened to music, taken photos, cried, laughed, and smiled on that trail. I’ve been lucky to hike in a lot of places around the world, but that trail in Michigan watched me grow up during a decade of my life. I miss it dearly.”
Few might also know that Mr. Agbabian is a devoted sports fan, specifically a lifelong supporter of Michigan Football. Growing up in Ann Arbor with both of his parents working at the University of Michigan, he’s been attending games at the Big House since childhood. “I’ve probably been to more than 100 games,” he says. “Throughout middle school and high school, I would travel with my dad on weekends to see Michigan play all across the Midwest and even part on the east coast.” The best part of it all was when he traveled with the team in 2023 when they won the National Championship. “To see them win the Natty in person with my family was totally surreal,” he recalls. “It was the coolest moment.”
When asked how this year’s theme of global mindedness connects to his own goals at Newman, Mr. Agbabian’s answer shows both his curiosity and his openness. “One thing I’m looking forward to is learning about the world through my students and through their own experiences,” he says. “Newman is truly a world campus, and to have students in my class and on the soccer team who are from so many other parts of the world is really exciting to me.”
As someone who has hiked, and taught in many places, Mr. Agbabian brings both excitement and adventure to his classroom.
