TORONTO, Canada – The 7th Semi-Annual Conference of the National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA) was held the weekend of April 28-29 at the University of Toronto in York, Canada, attended by student leaders representing more than 70 universities across North America.
The NHSA of America, the network of the Hellenic Student Associations at major universities in the United States, recently voted to welcome Greek students from Canada to become members.
Keynote speaker Dimitris Azemopoulos, Consul General of Greece in Toronto, praised the NHSA members for organizing the Convention and commended them for taking the initiative to inspire tomorrow’s leaders. {48834} {48835}
The Convention, entitled “Hellenic Youth: The Cornerstone of Hope” presented two panel discussions: “New Models: Sustainability and Development,” and “Taking the Initiative: Education, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.”
Chris P. Tomaras, Chairman of the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation, was invited as a guest presenter on the topic of education. He was unable to participate in person, but sent the guests a video message.
Tomaras highlighted his commitment to education by declaring, “I founded the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation on our Hellenic principles to ensure that financially deserving college students, whose outstanding academic performance merits recognition, have the support they need to complete their education and contribute meaningfully to society.”
He also briefly discussed “the components of entrepreneurship and innovation,” declaring they too are important in one’s “life education.
“The NHSA’s mission is to link together Greek, Greek-American and Cypriot students attending higher educational institutions. Members see themselves as ‘ambassadors’ of Hellenism and Education with a vision to build a strong and efficient entity for higher education students,” according to an official release.
Jamie Leberis, the Convention Chairperson, said, “We hold these conventions to empower our fellow students to make a positive impact on their lives and communities. The successful turnout says that the NHSA is on the right track.”
Leberis also expressed appreciation for “the support of our sponsors and would like to thank them for caring about our mission. All of them, especially Mr. Chris Tomaras and the Pan Hellenic Scholarship Foundation, believe in the potential of Hellenic youth.” Sponsors included Hellenic Heritage Foundation, Hotel Grande Bretagne and the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation.
In addition to the inspirational panel discussions and networking between members, $50,000 was donated to by Ted Mantziaris and Ted Agnostasakos to begin a Greek Studies Program at the University of Toronto. For more information about the NHSA visit their website at www.nhsaofamerica.org.