David Ketenjian Chamyan’s grandparents originally immigrated to Uruguay from Armenia to escape the Armenian Genocide in the 1920s. David—born in Uruguay—​moved to the United States when he was 8 years old, where it was challenging to get accustomed to a different culture and language. 

David graduated with honors from the University of California, San Diego with a b achelor’s degree in biology in 2010. Originally, he planned to go to dental school and open his own practice upon graduation. During the application process, David realized that he was not truly pursuing what he loved and decided to embrace his secret dream of working on the sea as a Master, the highest ranking officer on cruise ships. 

David is now majoring in marine transportation at California State University Maritime Academy and looks forward to pursuing his dream of serving thousands of people at sea.