NEW YORK – AHEPA Empire State District 6 recently held the 2021 Scholarship Award Ceremony as a hybrid event – simultaneously online and in person.

Mike Papaphotes welcomed the attendants and gave the introductory greeting of the event and Demi Pamboukes, 2021 sponsor of the event, presented the history of the ESD6 Scholarship Foundation and announced the 2021 scholarship recipients. 

The ESD6 District Governor, Louis Katsos, benefactor of the Katsos Family Scholarship in memory of John and Maria Katsos, awarded Emily Kalyvas as 2021 Grand Prize Scholarship Winner, who will study at Georgetown University, majoring in Chemistry.

Chris Gallis, benefactor of the Gallis Family Scholarship, in memory of George and Andy Gallis, awarded Brian Kim-Koutsis as 2021 Gallis Family Scholarship Winner. He will study Finance, Information Science, and Mandarin Chinese at Cornell University.

Zoe-Eleni Tzivas, the 2021 Kokotas Family Scholarship Winner. (Photograph: Courtesy of AHEPA District 6.)

AHEPA Supreme Vice President Jimmy Kokotas, benefactor of Kokotas Family scholarship, awarded Zoe-Eleni Tzivas, as 2021 Kokotas Family Scholarship Winner. Tzivas will study Neuroscience with a minor in Psychology at Colgate University. 

Peter Ragoussis awarded Demetra Bobarakis as 2021 College/University Student Scholarship Winner, sponsored by Delphi Chapter 25, Hermes Chapter 186, and Rochester Flower City Chapter 67. Bobarakis is a sophomore Psychology major at Siena College, where she also competes as a swimmer.

Demetra Bobarakis, the 2021 College/University Student Scholarship Winner. (Photograph: Courtesy of AHEPA District 6.)

Pamboukes awarded Julia Ragoussis as 2021 Vocational Scholarship Winner, sponsored by Demi Pamboukes and Dr. Konstantinos Drosatos, and she will be studying Health Sciences at Adelphi University.

Papaphotes, the president of the Perpetual Scholarship Program Committee and Director of Education, Past District Governor, as well as a past winner of a Delphi Chapter 25 scholarship, spoke to The National Herald and highlighted that in 2021, for the first time ever, a Vocational Scholarship was awarded. Regarding the evaluation criteria of the scholarship recipients, Papaphotes said,” the applicants are not only evaluated on their academic records, honors, and their extracurricular and volunteer activities, but also on an essay question that relates Hellenism to current events. “This year, we selected George Zouvelos question: ‘The Order of AHEPA was founded nearly 100 years ago to fight discrimination from groups like the KKK. Using the ideals of Hellenism, in an essay, describe how the Order of AHEPA continues to fight these injustices today.’ All essays submitted from the winners were outstanding, thought provoking, and represented the ideals of AHEPA. There is nothing more important than the ‘E’ for Education in the AHEPA name.”

Brian Kim-Koutsis, the 2021 Gallis Family Scholarship Winner. (Photograph: Courtesy of AHEPA District 6.)

Papaphotes added thanks to the members of “the ESD6 Scholarship Committee for volunteering their time and dedicated effort in awarding these scholarships yearly,” and on behalf of the committee he also thanked 2021 sponsors and called upon anyone interested in becoming a sponsor to send an email to [email protected].  

The members of the Perpetual Scholarship Program Committee are: Mike Papaphotes, Peter Ragoussis (vice president), Demi Pamboukes (secretary), Chris Gallis (treasurer), Jimmy Demetriades (member), Harry A. Fotiadis (member), George Zouvelos (member), Dr. Sotirios Stergiopoulos (member), Robert Hahn (member) and George Demopoulos (lifetime honoree).

Julia Ragoussis, 2021 Vocational Scholarship Winner. (Photograph: Courtesy of AHEPA District 6.)

The ESD6 officers are: Louis Katsos (District Governor), Dean Moskos (Lt. Governor), Chris Pappis (Secretary), and Peter Ragoussis (Treasurer).