By Eleni Sakellis
NEW YORK – On Sunday, April 30, the American Community Schools of Athens (ACS Athens), a Pre-K-12 institution located in Halandri, Athens, honored two distinguished alumni with Achievement Awards, acknowledging their professional accomplishments, exemplary leadership with ethos, and service to humanity. The award recipients are Dr. Anna Kaltsas and Dr. Scott Parazynski.
The honorees were recognized at the Inaugural Global Alumni Awards Dinner at the Loeb Boathouse in New York’s Central Park. George M. Logothetis, Chairman and CEO of the Libra Group, the keynote speaker at the event, gave a memorable speech about the efforts to help refugees in Greece and his connection to ACS Athens through his father who was himself a refugee and attended the school.
He noted that through his father, the school’s ethos and dedication to social responsibility reached him and his brothers. The pursuit of excellence and the exposure to the suffering of others “elevates empathy” Logothetis said. He spoke about his company’s recently launched Home Project which is providing shelter and support for refugees in Greece including many unaccompanied minors, children, who are suffering.
ACS Athens is collaborating with the Home Project within the school’s Youth to Youth program which helps refugee children adapt to their new environment, developing language skills, and encouraging social interaction beyond their fellow refugees. Logothetis noted that he is proud of the work they are doing together to relieve the refugee crisis.
Greece is on the frontline, he said, and ACS Athens is on the frontline of the frontline. The students are enriched through giving and have more gratitude for what they have, he observed.
Logothetis impressed the audience with his speech and his dedication to dealing with the refugee crisis. Logothetis told The National Herald that he had written the speech only that morning, but when you are passionate about a cause, the words come easily.
Yanna Darilis, President and Managing Partner of New Greek TV served as master of ceremonies, while Suheil Sabbagh- Chairman of the ACS Athens Board of Trustees, and Dr. Stefanos Gialamas- ACS Athens President for 12 years, were among the speakers at the event. Also on the school’s Board of Trustees, Tim Ananiadis- General Manager and Managing Director of the Grand Bretagne, presented the award to Dr. Kaltsas, and Nick Karambelas presented the award to Dr. Parazynski.
Dr. Anna Kaltsas, ACS Class of 1996 (Clinical Research, Infectious Diseases, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College) received the Emerging Young Leader Award which recognizes an alumnus, under 40 years of age, who shows promise in his/her field by providing inspiration and leadership to students and other young alumni.
The recipient has to have shown significant leadership either in their professional career and/or community, public or humanitarian service. Dr. Kaltsas is the Infectious Disease Specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She attended and graduated with honors from Albany Medical College, Union University in 2004, having over 12 years of diverse experiences, especially in Infectious Disease. She affiliates with many hospitals including Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases.
Dr. Kaltsas also cooperates with other doctors and physicians in medical groups including Memorial Infectious Disease Group. She spoke movingly at the event about the school and the many teachers that shared her love of science and helped inspire her dream to become a doctor and a better teacher herself.
Dr. Scott Parazynski, ACS Class of 1979 (CEO of Fluidity Technologies, Physician, U.S. Astronaut, Inventor, Speaker) will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award which recognizes an alumnus, 40 years or more of age, whose accomplishments in the public, private or non-profit sector, have made an outstanding contribution to the community and serve as an example both professionally and ethically.
Dr. Parazynski was inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame last May at Kennedy Space Center, FL. He is a veteran of five space shuttle flights and has walked in space. A life-long scuba diver and accomplished mountaineer, Scott is also a commercial, instrument, multiengine and seaplane-rated pilot with over 2,500 flight hours. In November 2014, Dr. Parazynski was designated University Explorer and Professor of Practice at Arizona State University. He is a prolific inventor and product developer, and serves on the Boards of several organizations and companies, and was also the first astronaut to summit on Mount Everest on May 20, 2009.
Dr. Parazynski said, “I gratefully accept this award on behalf of all the teachers who help me live out my dreams,” and then said thank you very much in Greek.
Also in attendance at the event were Consul General of Greece in New York Konstantinos Koutras, Rhode Island State Senator Leonidas Raptakis, AHEPA Supreme President Andrew Zachariades, John Metaxas, Argyris Argitakos, Dr. George Liakeas, Maria Galanou, Emilee Floor, Lou Katsos, Paul Kotrotsios and his daughter Aphrodite, Professor Nick Alexiou, New York Greek Film Festival President James Demetro, Marina Belessis-Casoria, George Zapantis, and many of the school’s alumni, staff, and benefactors.
Dr. Gialamas who praised the Board of Trustees for their work and thanked them for supporting his vision, also announced that Logothetis would deliver the commencement address at the school this year.
ACS is a Pre-K-12 institution based on American principles with English as the language of instruction.
Consul General Koutras hosted a special reception for ACS Athens at the consulate on Saturday evening, April 29 that was an occasion for Dr. Stefanos Gialamas and the Board of Trustees to honor four Americans who have presented commencement addresses at ACS.
The honorees were Dr. Ioannis Miaoulis- President of the Boston Museum of Science; Dr. Edward Burger- President, Southwestern University; Dr. Julie Wollman- President of Widener University; and Dr. Hank Cram – President of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools where ACS is accredited.
Dr. Gialamas said “it was a wonderful element of the celebratory weekend to see so many prestigious people- presidents of universities, provosts from all over the USA to come and celebrate the success of ACS.”
He continued, “It is a wonderful honor for us that the Consul General had the great kindness to invite us to the consulate, and to give us an opportunity to bring together the two worlds, America and Greece to the home of Greece in New York. I personally thank Dr. Koutras, who has the sensitivity for and understanding of the importance of bringing leaders of American universities and institutions closer to Greece.”
Consul General Koutras said, “This a wonderful event for a very important school which has raised the educational standards of Greece. ACS, as we all know, is a school attended by not only the children of foreign diplomats serving in Greece but also of Greek diplomats returning to Greece. We follow their journey which takes them to the best schools, mainly abroad, and then they return to careers in Greece.”
“Today we hosted some very important people and I congratulate ACS for taking the initiative to honor these people, who become the best possible ambassadors of Greece in the USA. I learned today that all the Americans that we have met who have relationships with ACS adore Greece – and I congratulate the School for that.”
Enrollment is currently underway for ACS’s popular summer camp program. Information is available at acs.gr/summer-yc-home-2017.
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