ALBANY, NY – The members of the St. Sophia Scholarship Committee were honored to present the St. Sophia Scholarship awards for the 2021-2022 academic year to 17 recipients following the Divine Liturgy in Albany, NY, on August 15. These awards were based on several factors, including the honorees’ participation in various activities at St. Sophia, academic record, and their student essay.

Four students also received James Gallas Scholarship awards, created by the Gallas family in memory of James.

The 2021 scholarship recipients are Elizabeth Cohen – SUNY Cortland; Nia Cohen – Hudson Valley Community College; Nicholas Cohen – Hudson Valley Community College; Athanasia Efstathiadis – Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Theodore Efstathiadis – SUNY Albany; Nicholas Kalogridis – SUNY Albany; Christopher Lasher – University at Buffalo; Lucas Lasher – Clarkson University; Christo Melas – Siena College, James Gallas Scholarship recipient; Nicholas Moutopoulos – Babson College; Michael Neal – Loyola University, James Gallas Scholarship recipient; Matthew Papandrea – The College of St. Rose; Giovanna Paratore – SUNY New Paltz; Lea Paratore – Hudson Valley Community College; George Reynolds-Cotzas – Boston University, James Gallas Scholarship recipient; George Tsakalakos – Emory University and Maria Tsakalakos – Emory University, James Gallas Scholarship recipient.

the St. Sophia Scholarship Committee extended congratulations to all the recipients. It is the wish of the committee, and every member of St. Sophia that they will continue their adult lives at St. Sophia and encourage others who follow them to build on their achievements. “We believe that investing in our children and our students is an investment in our future,” the committee said in a statement via email.