Dimitrios Asproulis

“The Heritage Greece Program has as a noble goal, to provide the opportunity for US students with Greek – American descent to encounter and reconnect with their Greek origins and past. I would be very glad to contribute in this effort and help my American fellow-students to embrace Greece and its history, culture, language and people. I have always tried to present and promote my country through the assigned projects and discussions with my fellow-students. Through this educational program, I will have the opportunity to discuss with my American fellow-students and help them discover further their proud and admirable past. But, apart from the glorious past, I will focus to explain to them that Greece can overcome the current obstacles and develop an exciting future, which should be based in the very promising and educated young generation.”

Athanasia Filippopoulou

“I would like to participate in the Heritage Greece Program for both the benefits and the challenges of this program. I think it is a really interesting program and a great opportunity to exchange opinions and ideas with other people. Through HG, I will meet new people and make new friends who might even hold for a lifetime. It will be really nice to know people from other countries and share with them the Greek culture. Greeks are known for their hospitality, so it will be my pleasure to host our American guests for a Greek dinner at my home. It will be really nice for me to participate to all these activities or trips that the American students will do, and share with them my own culture. “

Olga Kasma

“It would be an honor for me to participate in the HG program that is organized by Deree College. I was always searching for the opportunity to take part in a program like this in order to cultivate my education and learn new things about my country. Being a volunteer in this program will offer me the opportunity to meet people from different countries, exchange ideas and views on different subjects and make new friends.  Moreover, I will be able to show our unique archaeological sites and monuments and inform American students about Greek history. They will also be informed about current Greek lifestyle, traditions and customs.”

Marianna Konstantinidou

“I would love to participate in the Heritage Greece program because it is something that really matches my character and the moment I learned about it I felt that it is something I really want to do. I have experience in this kind of programs since I was 11 years old, because every summer I used to go to summer learning programs with students from all over the world, firstly as a student myself and then as staff assistant as well, till the age of 18. Heritage Greece, really reminds me of this summer camp I used to go to, that is why I would like to experience this again but in a different and more mature way now.”

Ioannis Loizos

“I want to participate in the Heritage Greece Program, as I wish to meet people with whom we have something in common, our Greek origin. The fact that these fellow students will visit Greece for the first time, while having Greek routes, stimulates my interest in order to show them the aspects of life in Greece and share with them my experiences of living in this country. I hope that by accompanying them during their visit in Greece, we will have the time to know each other and enjoy some relaxing moments together. Moreover I hope that after their visit to Greece, with the positive relaxing and enjoying experiences they will gain, they will act as ambassadors for our country and remember this visit as a lifetime experience. Finally, this program will give me the chance to meet foreign students-young people of my age, and share with them my hopes, ideas and concerns about our generation’s future.”

Dimitris Lykouris

“I would really like to take the chance and interact with people from America but also to have the ability to teach them what the Greek culture is all about concerning tradition, everyday life and so forth.  I expect to make new friends, to teach and to be taught by in order to enhance my ability of understanding other ways of life and –also- offer my knowledge to others.”

Alexandra Mylona

“Being an active part of my community is something that I always wanted to do. Greece is a unique country with not only a lot of history but also a lot of future as well. I would be glad to show the modern side of Greece to our visitors and help my country regain its reputation, so that next time someone Googles “Greece”, the first thing to appear right next to it will be the word “magnificent”. Furthermore, it would be very pleasant for me to talk about my country while visiting the sights and exchange opinions and ideas about our monuments and statues, which are of incredible beauty and importance, as far as our national heritage is concerned. However, by participating in this program, my main goal would be to facilitate the Greek-Americans with getting accustomed to the real, current and modern side of Greece.”

Donald Shishko

“I am really excited about participating in the Heritage Greece program because this is a great opportunity for me to meet new people with a different culture that affected their personalities in various ways. It will be my pleasure if I can contribute in helping them understand Greek culture in the best possible way. Also, this will be a great chance for me to improve my interpersonal communication skills and get knowledge of different perspectives and backgrounds.”

Fotini Tistsiou

“I see this program as a great opportunity for me to meet new people from a different country and culture with a common element, Greek heritage. We can share many values and experiences and can also create new experiences and friendships that will last. I would love to be a part of this program, to help them with their daily program and to make them understand what it is to be Greek, to live here. I want to share my experiences with these people and create new ones too. As a Communications major student, communicating with others is what I like, to exchange knowledge and have fun. I will have the chance to do that in my own country with people that I share so many things with in common (not only our heritage, but common interests too)”.

Eleni Verra

“I am sure that my participation in the Heritage Greece Program will be an unforgettable experience for many reasons. First of all, this program is a great opportunity to meet and become friend with new people. I am a very communicative person and it will be pleasure for me to exchange ideas and opinions with students from a different country. Moreover, HG will give me the chance to initiate the American participants to the Greek history. The season the program takes place will be a great opportunity for the American students to experience our warm climate and to enjoy many sunny days in our country. They will understand that the best place to spend their summer is our islands with these beautiful landscapes and these endless sunny beaches, which I am sure, will love. Furthermore, Greeks are famous for their hospitality. This is something that I want American students to feel.”

Dimitra Xepapapdea

“I am very interested in meeting students who have a Greek-American background, but more importantly, I would like to do my part to make sure that these students have a nice experience while in Greece. Taking into consideration the negative publicity Greece, as a country, has received in the past few years due to the economic crisis, it is very important to make sure people-especially those with a Greek background- realize that Greece has a lot to offer, a lot to teach, and is making great progress. At the same time, I want to represent Deree and help in any way that I can so that the visiting students can have the best possible experience while here.”