Hellenext Next Generation Initiative Interviews!

Hello all! I have some great news for college students of Greek decent. Stephanie Marudas from the Next Generation Initiative is interviewing college students of Greek descent about their heritage. She's visiting campuses around the country, and looking for students to interview. Here's how it works:

-Students must be born in the US and have some degree of Greek heritage (could be 1% or 100%).

-The interview lasts 30 minutes. A written transcript of the interview, along with the audio, will ultimately be entered into a new public online archive.

-Participants are photographed.

-The interviews will help create a new archive of information for students and scholars studying the Greek-American community, and better inform community leaders about how to provide resources for the next generation of Greek-Americans.

If you are interested, please email Stephanie at smarudas@hellenext.org, and make sure to tell her where you go to college, what your Greek background is, and provide her with a phone number where she can easily reach you.

The Last Week of the Great Journey

The last week of the Journey has ended!

For those who were not on the trip, and I am assuming if you are reading this you were not, arriving back in Athens and stepping off the boat yielded a great sigh of relief from many of the Journey to Greece students. The easyLife was over for the students who waved goodbye to their cruise ship, which is also aptly named easyLife, and set off with fond memories of the Greek islands…and Turkey = /. Walking through the port gave time for the students to realize that the trip was almost over, no more classes, no more friends, no more frappe'! Regardless the students did not get to sulk for long as they were whisked away on Monday to Sounion by the Glyfada Daughters of Penelope chapter. The bus ride took its toll on some of the students, there were heads back on chairs with mouths agape. Waking up and walking off the bus the students came face to face with a hotel, not something you normally would expect when you think of Sounion but nonetheless inviting. The hotel butted right up to the beach that was just under the Temple of Poseidon, it was refreshing to take a dive into the water and enjoy the view provided. After the beach party, students piled into the busses to head to the Temple of Poseidon; the temple stands alone on the top of a cliff where it has apparently become "illegal" to throw rocks off (a tradition started with Journey to Greece 2006). Amidst the confusion of returning students, a tour guide gave the history of the temple as well as the myth attached to the construction of the temple (a competition between Athena and Poseidon over the capital city of Greece, bet you can guess who won…) and finally wrapped up with Lord Byron's inscription. The rest of the time was spent enjoying the views from the Temple and taking pictures with the sunset falling through the columns of the Temple.

Tuesday allowed the students a unique taste of Greek Orthodoxy with a visit to the Archbishop Theophilos, Exarch of the Patriarch of Jerusalem in Athens. The students were invited to tour the monastery in Athens as well as the small museum that is housed within the structure. It was very informative with the Journey students asking deep questions about their religion and religious traditions. Archbishop Theophilos took the students upstairs to a small museum and removed some of the religious artifacts for the students while he explained their significance to the Orthodox Church. Archbishop Theophilos was very jovial through the entire visit offering unique and realistic views of our religion bring many things into perspective for the Journey students. After posing with the Archbishop, students exited the building and walked back to the school and onto the Metro to the embassy. Walking up the street to the embassy and realizing that we were passing by struck the students as awkward. The students were actually going to the Ambassador's residence that lies just behind the embassy. Upon arrival, armed guards (the usual for an embassy) and tight security to which they presented their passports and were escorted into the residence, greeted students. Once inside the Journey students enjoyed Fanta and Pepsi before heading into the common room of the house where Clark Price, Deputy Chief of Mission spoke. Mr. Price greeted students with a small background on US and Greek relations and then opted for a Question and Answer session where students posed questions to the FYROM issue as well as the topic of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. As the session ended, students were moved out of the house and out to the lawn for pictures with the Deputy Chief of Mission. From there students left the residence and took the metro back to Syntagma square to eat dinner.

The rest of the week passed by with students pulling "all nighters "to write their final papers and to prepare for their respective finals. The coursework was tough but everyone banded together through study groups and made it happen. For the Greek class it was an oral presentation, for the Greeks in America class it consisted of an essay and PowerPoint, Art and Architecture had a final test, and Philosophy had six essays due on Thursday; it was a busy week for everyone.

Friday was the last day students were in Athens and meant everyone was packing for their flight home. That night the University of Indianapolis in conjunction in AHEPA threw a farewell reception for students with food from the local taverna. Spanakopita, Keftethes, and Souvlaki lined a buffet that made your mouth water; some students ate so much that they went back for thirds and fourths! During the reception there were speeches made about the program's continuation and the history of the program with words added about the pleasant time the students had during this Journey to Greece 2008 term. All in all the reception left everyone feeling good about what they had just been a part of and allowed one last formal meeting of all the Journey students. That night many of the students went out to celebrate the end of the trip, some went to meet with family, and others spent the night in preparation for the long flight ahead.

Saturday was met with tears from many; it would be the last time students would see each other for an extended duration. The trip to the airport seemed sullen as students were feeling a cloud of depression slowly descend. The transition at the airport went smoothly, students found their planes and had time to eat something before embarking, but this was not before many tear-filled good-byes' and lots of "I will call you"s. As to quote the Blue Oyster Cult, "Airplanes make strangers of us all, give us distance much too easily". As the planes departed the Journey to Greece program ended for the 2008 year and the students arrived in their homes to see the smiling faces of those who missed them.

Mykonos and Paros

The island hopping adventure continues! Thursday Journey to Greece students docked at Mykonos and immediately hopped onto a ferry to Delos where easyCruise had a set up a private tour of the archeological site. For most, this was a difficult endeavor due to the early departure time of the ferry from Mykonos (10:30 AM); most of the students had to be rolled out of bed but woke up on the rocky boat ride over to Delos. Upon arrival the students were welcomed by their tour guide who promptly escorted the group into the site; the first stop were the aqueducts followed by an upscale Delian mansion with its own mosaic and marble floors. The most amazing part of the island, though, was the summit of the “mountain”. Only a few students made it to the top, but the view was worth the climb. A panoramic view of the entire island greeted the weary climbers and provided a perfect background for pictures; the wind at the summit was blowing so strongly that students could lean forward and not fall. Friday Journey students entered the port at Paros. EasyCruise Life dropped anchor just outside the docks and the Journey students took small boats into the town. Most of the students hit Naoussa beach, went swimming, and sat out in the sun. After the sun began to set, all of the Journey students migrated back to the boat and the internet café in order to prepare for their arrival in Athens.

The Island Life!

Sorry for the delay on posting but we have been cruising the Greek Islands! easyCruise Life has taken the students on a week long island hopping excursion where there has never been a dull moment. As our master schedule stated the students were on the island of Kalymnos on Sunday taking in the sun at the beautiful beaches and enjoying the surrounding countryside. The students stayed all day in Kalymnos and broke off into smaller groups of four or five to go bike riding as well as to go kayaking around the island. On Monday, students were treated to a stay in Bodrum, Turkey where there is quite a shopping district. There were deals to be had and great food to be eaten while on shore. What was interesting about Turkey was that many of the shops preferred Euros or United States Dollars to their own currency while we were there grating the students even better deals on different clothing and accessories. At night, many of the students stayed on board the ship and went to the club located in the main dining hall to meet some of the other passengers; the ship holds quite a diverse population of people from the United Kingdom all the way to Australia! Tuesday holds the record for the best day on the cruise so far, the boat docked in Kos and the students all hurried off to hit the beaches. Kos was beautiful, to many of the students Kos was the epitome of what they had expected to see when they had come to Greece: beautiful beaches, small tavernas, and delectable food (I have never had better taramoslata). The water was as clear as glass, you could see the sea floor without a pair of goggles and there were plenty of small fish swimming around. After the beach, many of the students brought the day to a close writing in their Archeology journals or working on their Greeks in America projects that helped to wind down the day. Today (Wed.) the students landed on the island of Syros, a bit off schedule, due to weather near Paros that prevented the boat from getting near the island. This did not deter the students from going to see the beautiful Orthodox Church that lies at the peak of the town, or walking around the plaka in the island sampling all of the local Greek desserts. Syros is one of the smaller islands the students have visited but the food (every Greek rates the places they have been by the food!) again, was phenomenal. I only wish the food back in Athens was this good. As I bring this post to a close all of the students wish you the best and are looking forward to the rest of their island cruise, some are beginning to miss home and the certain amenities they took for granted (French fries and ketchup) but overall the students are having a great time discovering their roots.

For those who have not seen the schedule here is the remaining itinerary:
Thursday- Mykonos with an excursion to Delos
Friday- Paros
Saturday- Athens

E-Bulletins

Hello all blog readers! Please note that there are links to download the new JTG E-Bulletin on the right hand side of the page. We have spent a significant amount of time putting this together for you so enjoy!

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD JTG Session 2 Bulletin #1

New Pictures!!!

Click for New Pictures

Four Days of Fun!

Thursday the Journey students had the opportunity to attend another symposium related to the topic of United States/Greek relations. The symposium covered the topics of the FYROM issue as well as the continuation of Hellenic ideals through AHEPA; all of the students who attended enjoyed the session very much as it gave some insight into the political climate of Greece and the United States. After the symposium, students were shuttled off to a basketball game between the AHEPA Team and the Greek national team. Almost all of the students rooted for the AHEPA team that consists of Greek American college students. The game was close with both teams scoring back and forth and FINALLY THE AHEPA TEAM WON! The AHEPA team pulled ahead for a 75-65 victory over the Greek National team and the students hopped back onto the busses to Syntagma square. Arriving in Syntagma square, the Journey students all hurried to get ready for the AHEPA hosted glendi at a nearby hotel. A local group preformed dances from Macedonia at the glendi and then invited the students to join them and dance for the rest of the night.

Friday began as many days do, the sun came up, the birds began to chirp, and the Journey to Greece students were at another symposium listening to politicians give roundabout answers to questions. The symposium was specifically geared toward the United States/Greek political relationship as well as the respective countries positions on the FYROM issue. All of the students took something from the symposium and finished their adventure at the local taverna eating chicken and green beans. In the afternoon most of the students decided to take a siesta in preparation for the "special event" that night in observance of the Fourth of July. What the students did not know was that the "special event" was a gigantic party at a Greek shipping mogul's home! The students were treated to some of the best food they had ever had and a view that rivals California.

Saturday was a free day with the students taking advantage of the Greek sun by hitting the beaches in Glyfada. The day did not entail any special significance other than it was HOT and the beaches were of course, beautiful.

Sunday the students got up early to go to church in Mitropoleos where His Eminence Arch Bishop Demetrios was performing the Divine Liturgy. After the service, students got a special session with His Eminence where the students got a firsthand account as to the status of the Orthodox Church. After the meeting students took pictures with the Archbishop and then left to get ready for a pool party hosted by the Glyfada chapter of AHEPA. The pool party lasted a few hours and then the students decided to hit the beaches for the second time that weekend.

New Pictures!

Pictures from the Glendi


Pictures from Orientation

Pictures from the Opening of the Convention

Greece Update

Tuesday students woke up to attended orientation. The University of Indianapolis, Athens hosted the students in the main lecture hall where the students filled out their registration information and were welcomed by the heads of the AHEPA educational foundation. Dr. Jim Dimitriou had all of the students give their hometowns and names during orientation as the Journey students found out how small the world really is! Many students reside in the same areas as other but have never crossed paths and now were becoming close as fellow AHEPA Journey to Greece members. After the registration, the students attended their first day of classes with a great eagerness to begin their coursework. The first day of classes admittedly is more of an administrative endeavor, but nonetheless each Journey student found each of their professors to be excellent. After the last class had adjourned, students were rushing to change for the opening of the AHEPA national convention. The convention opened on Tuesday with his Eminence Archbishop Demetrios giving a speech that praised both the efforts of the AHEPA in the United States and in Greece. The opening was spectacular. The students walked out of the meeting hall and into a beautiful reception with live entertainment and miniaturized food; there were tiropites that were rolled up like eggrolls! Students mingled with all of the AHEPA and Greek brass talking about politics and the experiances that each student had on the trip so far. All of the students had a great time and walked back to their apartments to rest up for the next day's classes after the event was over.

On Wednesday, students attended their first day of full classes (1 hour 50 min. each). Some of the students with early morning classes managed to make it to the beach, for the rest of us who were not so fortunate; we ended up getting frappe's across the street from the UINDY campus to combat the Athens summer heat. With the end of classes on Wednesday, students found themselves going to a glendi that was hosted for the national convention. A few of the students took pictures with the Supreme President of AHEPA, and some of the students DANCED with the Supreme President. The night was one filled with excitement and fellowship as non-journey convention attendees Greek danced with the students during Kotsari and Sirto. The students were served a full dinner at the glendi, the meat was so tender that it could be cut with a fork, it was the best food many of the students have had on the trip so far.

Session 2 Arrival in Greece (Updated 07/01/08)

The Journey to Greece students have arrived safely in Athens, Greece! For some it was making a last minute connection (literally) for others the entire trip went smoothly; getting onto a plane filled with Greeks is surely a remarkable sight. From New York, the flight lasted nine hours from take-off to landing, from Atlanta it took near eleven hours. Most of the students ended up sleeping or watching Fools Gold and The Bucket List, neither gigantic blockbuster but they sure beat watching Spider-man 3 two times on the same flight! For those who stayed up through dinner, there was a great gourmet meal served with selections as luxurious as pasta and some kind of microwave-able chicken you can get at COSTCO. The flight, for better or worse, was enjoyable (if you can enjoy sitting in a chair for 9-11 hours) with all the accoutrements of coach: cramped seating, service second, and terribly configures televisions screens that make everyone look like a Martian. I know, this sounds like so much fun!

 

After all of the Journey to Greece students were accounted for, all of the students packed into the busses and headed for the heart of Athens. The bus trip allowed some people to catch up on more sleep, but for those that were awake beautiful vistas of the Greek countryside greeted their eyes. The views from the bus were phenomenal, almost breath taking as the students arrived to their destination. When the bus arrived in Athens, the students grabbed their luggage and were directed into their apartments, as soon as everyone was settled the students met Dr. Dimitriou at the University of Indianapolis, Athens to rally and then headed off to the taverna where the students ate a traditional Greek lunch.

 

Once the students had all ate their fill of pastisio and patates they all headed over to the Acropolis to pose for a group photo and also to be interviewed by ERT 1, Greek National Television. Some of the students were personally interviewed along with Professor Sfekas, also the AHEPA Supreme President Ike Gulas stopped and took pictures with the students! As the day came to a close, all of the Journey to Greece students became acquainted with their rooms and roommates eventually falling asleep in preparation for the next day's activities.

Baggage Policy Update

Reminder:
You may have two 50lbs. bags checked and one 45lbs. carry-on for international travel.

See you all in Greece!

More Pictures from Greece

I have another set of pictures directly from Greece! In this album the students meet with US Ambassador Daniel Spreckhard and Archbshiop Theofilos, of the Excharcate of Jerusalem. Also, some of the pictures are from Olympia and the Archeological Museum there. Enjoy!

New Pictures from Greece

We have new pictures from Greece for eveyone. Please enjoy pictures of the students weekend trip to Mycenae, Epidaurus, Napolion and Olympia.

Baggage Policy Reminder

For those who have not read the Delta Airlines Baggage Policy, it is in you best interest to do so before you leave as to avoid any complications while traveling. Also, in the baggage policy it states that for international travel, 2 bags less than 50 lbs. each can be checked for free as opposed to the single bag for domestic flights. STUDENTS, if you are flying to New York or Atlanta with a connecting flight to Greece, you MUST OBEY THE DOMESTIC BAGGAGE POLICY (1 carry-on under 40lbs. and 1 checked bag under 50lbs.) Please pack appropriately unless you are willing to pay for it!

Reminders for Session 2 Students

Bring 2 small passport size photos for a UINDY ID card.

Sign up for classes, if you have not!

Bring the address of the school for your transcripts to be sent. Also, please include the name of your academic adviser.

Be sure and pack your small carry on with a complete change of clothes if your suitcase does not arrive on time!

Be sure that everyone has one dressy outfit for the formal receptions.

Be sure and inform you bank for any credit card or ATM that you will be using it in Greece, to avoid any problems.

1st Night in Greece

Session #1 students arrived safely in Athens and have settled in their new apartments. Classes have started for all of the students meaning, yes they will have some work to do over the coming weeks. In addition, the Journey to Greece students met with the Hellenext "Athens Fellowship" group headed by Leon Stavrou and Bill Shuller . After everyone became comfortable in their new surroundings the Journey to Greece and Hellenext Fellowship students all went out to dinner in Monostiraki together!

On their second day in Greece, the students enjoyed the sights and sounds of the beautiful Glyfada area. The Greek national holiday was met with students walking through the sand at the beaches as well as a few covered in sand after they walked up out of the water and flopped down onto a towel. (The Haagen-Daz cafe' was happy to see the students as well.)

As of today students have been scheduled to attened a tour of the Acropolis on the 18th AND the students will also be visiting Mycenae, Epidaurus, Napolion and ancient Olympia over this beautiful weekend.

Bringing the post to a close, the students are working dilligently in their classes looking forward to a weekend only matched in excitement by the Lakers beating the Celtics; which if you live in either of the teams respective hometowns is HUGE!

Message from the University of Indianapolis, Athens.

Welcome to the 2008 Journey to Greece program offered under the auspices of the AHEPA Educational Foundation in conjunction with the University of Indianapolis in Athens.

The University of Indianapolis Athens [the only accredited American University in Greece fully owned and controlled by its U.S. parent], with buildings located at the foot of the Acropolis and amidst the ruins of the Roman market, was chartered in 1989, with the purpose of offering quality American education in Greece. Since its inception, the University has grown to become one of the leaders in higher education in Greece. The University of Indianapolis Athens offers 39 undergraduate programs and 10 graduate programs in Athens, runs a semester study abroad program “Odyssey in Athens” and several special study abroad programs such as the Journey to Greece. The University is accredited by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges.

The Journey to Greece program was revived in 2006, an initiative of Dr. Jim Dimitriou, and since then it has seen massive growth. 2008 has two sessions to accommodate more students and many students have opted to take both sessions which will enable them to take a many as 9 credits and transfer these to their Universities back home. The Journey to Greece is a learning experience, but the learning you do will take place outside the classroom as much as inside with visits to meet dignitaries and excursions to places of interest.

With the AHEPA Annual Convention taking place in at the conclusion of Session 1 and the start of Session 2, students will also be involved in Convention activities on a daily basis.

This year easyCruise is welcoming Session 2 students aboard to cruise the beautiful Aegean for 8 days. We are grateful to easyCruise for their sponsorship that has made this possible.

In short this year’s ‘Journey’ has a packed program with many new and exciting opportunities – it promises to provide an experience that will influence the way you think and feel in future, bringing you closer to the beautiful country of Greece and its people.

Dr. Peter Wilkins

Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement

University of Indianapolis

Update

For those of you wondering what the class schedule will be like, the information has been posted as a link on the top of the page. Also, we have also added the JTG 2008 Calendar to the site so please follow the link on over and see what will be happening this summer! As a final note, THE JOURNEY TO GREECE STUDENTS GET A SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM! This is ahead of the September public opening of the museum.

Hello everyone, I have some helpful hints from Dr. Dimitriou!

•Purchase your textbooks from Amazon prior to departure, as they are much cheaper here.
•Bring a memory stick for your computer work to transfer it from the computer lab or laptop.
•Check your ATM card to see if it is on one of the major systems (Cyrrus, Star, etc). for Euro exchange in Greece.
•We suggest that everyone have cell phone on the trip. Allocate about $80-$100 to purchase a Greek cell phone with minutes. These are very useful for all students. You can get together and share as well! If you have a phone that can be used internationally, be sure to get the card for it in Greece.
•We also suggest that you allocate about $25 to purchase a "Phone Card" in Greece (don't buy it in the states!). This allows you to call home regularly for a very reasonable cost!
•The student apartments are wired for the Internet. Also, both Starbucks near the campus and all of Syntagma Square are Wi-Fi areas. If you bring your laptop, this would be handly to stay connected. Also remember, UINDY has a computer lab for everyone's free use!
•Give your University the course information on the classes you are taking. Bring the correct address to give to UINDY to be sure that transcripts are sent from the home campus in Indiana to your respective college.

Video Journal is now LIVE!

Please click on the link here:

Video Journal

or in the navigation bar just under the Journey to Greece 2008 Blog Banner.

I will be updating the video journal every week while the students are in Greece so please bookmark away! Also, I have added a small video courtesy of Easycruise that gives a brief overview of what the Journey students can expect on the cruise, I can give you a brief, one word description of the cruise...AWESOME.

Syllabi

For everyone that is going on the trip please download the syllabi for the Journey to Greece 2008 Program . Here is the link:

CLICK HERE FOR SYLLABI

Please download these ahead of time so you can buy your required books in the US and save yourself some money and time!

Foreword by Dr. Jim Dimitriou

The Journey to Greece Study Abroad Program is now in its 3rd year. The Journey is sponsored by the AHEPA Educational Foundation. The AHEPA is the oldest and largest Greek cultural organization in the world. The Educational Foundation as well as AHEPA Districts and Chapters offer scholarships for qualified students to attend the program.

The JTG Program is offered in conjunction with the University of Indianapolis. UINDY is a wholly owned campus in the heart of Athens in Syntagma. UINDY maintains a full-time campus with three buildings, including a Cultural Center overlooking the ancient Roman Agoura. All instructors and class support is provided by the full-time staff of UINDY. In addition, all courses are full accredited and transferable. Student transcripts are sent by the parent campus in Indiana to the student's respective universities.

Students can earn 3 units/1 course in Session #1: June 15-July 1 and 6 units/2 courses in Session #2: July 1-26. In addition to the course work, students are provided numerous excursions, visits and receptions to highlight their stay.

This year, students will have the opportunity to attend the various activities of the AHEPA Supreme Convention to be held in Athens, July 1-7. Featured events include the Official Opening Ceremonies at the Zappion Center with notable Greek Government Officials; a gala 4th of July Party at the Glyfada Golf Course; a Greek Night Glendi and a special event hosted by AHEPA Hellas.

A very special feature of this year's JTG Program is the inclusion of a cruise for our students. An 8 day/7 night cruise is provided by easyCruise aboard the new ship, "Easy Life!" Students will visit Paros, Mykonos, Kos, Kalymnos, Samos and Bodrim, Turkey.

Our students are housed in UINDY provided private apartments on walking streets near the campus, just below the historical Acropolis in the heart of Athens. Each apartment has air conditioning, complete kitchen, TV, laundry facilities and microwave. Students are housed in suite like apartments.

Daily lunch is provided at a local taverna. All classes meet for 2 hours daily. Lunch is also the daily briefing period.

Special Delta Group flights have been provided from Los Angeles, Atlanta or New York by European Travel of Los Angeles. Students will be met at the airport with a private coach to bring them to the campus and get them settled in their apartments.

The Journey to Greece program is specially designed for Greek American youth to introduce them to their Hellenic Heritage, customs and traditions! Courses are provided in Greek language, Orthodoxy, history, philosophy and art and archeology.

The Journey is a wonderful experience that enables students to make friends from all over the US and Canada. It is a program that helps our students learn about life and customs in Greece and to understand their own cultural traditions. Upon completing the Journey, we can look at our experience as Odysseus stated upon his long overdue arrival back to his native island of Ithaka,
"To arrive where we started and to know the place for the first time."

-Dr. Jim Dimitriou

End of Week Update

You know that feeling you get when something amazing is coming up in your life that dwarfs all other events. Well I have hit that point, as I am sure most of the students have. Greece is just a few weeks away and school is out for summer! On the same note, I need your help. Any students going on the Journey to Greece program can write a paragraph to be posted on the blog; we want to hear from you!

Here are the details:

+ One Paragraph Typed (nothing too long)

+ Highlight what you look forward to on the trip and any other details you may want to include

+ Your Name

+ A Digital Picture of you (optional)

+Email your document (& Picture) to Journey2greece@gmail.com

The entries will be posted on the blog as soon as I can fit them in.Thank you in advance; all of your contributions are appreciated!

____________________________________________________________________

State of the Blog:

Currently I am working on integrating video into the blog. That means that you can follow the Journey to Greece Students throughout the trip!

Also, look for a foreword by Dr. Jim Dimitriou around the middle of next week.

That is all for now I will keep you posted on anything interesting over the next few weeks.

____________________________________________________________________

Greek Trivia:

Which Hollywood actor is the most famous living Greek Orthodox Christian? (He was not born Orthodox, he converted. He is also a member at St. Sophia's Cathedral in Los Angeles)

Answer: sknaH moT

Welcome to the Journey to Greece 2008 Blog Site!

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Peter Vasilion and I will be your next generation student correspondent for the 2008 Journey to Greece program. Although the program does not begin for two months, I would like to introduce myself.

I am a college freshman at California State University Long Beach (Go Beach!) who is planning to major in business marketing and minor in film studies. I am 100% Greek with my father's family hailing from Cephalonia and Marmara, while my mother's family is from Morfu in Cyprus. My family has been involved in AHEPA for 4 generations and I am the president of the South Bay Chapter of the Sons of Pericles (Redondo Beach, CA). I attended Journey to Greece 2007 and had an amazing experience; this year with 80 students attending, the program will be even better!

I have also added a slideshow with pictures from 2007. The photo bucket was created and maintained by Cheryl Bucholtz the Hellenext intern in 2007!