View all our Alumni Success Stories here.

Alumna Profiled: Sophia Papaioannou
Graduated: DEREE ’93
Lives in: Athens, Greece
Current Position: Journalist / Editorial Director, Huffington Post Greece

“Be a newspaperwoman, if only for the excuse it gives you to seek out at once the object of any sudden passion”
The advice the mother of Katharine Graham, owner of the Washington Post, gave to her daughter.

SOPHIA PAPAIOANNOY a well-known and respected journalist, has become Editorial Director at the Huffington Post Greece (24Media) which was launched in November 2014.

Ms Papaioannou also presents the weekly show “360 degrees” on ALPHA TV, and has co-hosted and presented investigative journalism programs on Greek Television (MEGA TV, SKAI TV) for over a decade, most notably “The Files.” A curious mind, she has traveled the world and reported from Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East, and has also penned her first book Hidden in the Aegean (2011). Ms Papaioannou studied English Literature at the University of Athens, and History at DEREE-The American College of Greece (‘93), following up her undergraduate degrees with a Master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from New York University. In Greece, she has also worked on the international news desk at ANTENNA TV, at the foreign press office of the Athens 2004 Bid Committee for the Olympic Games, and has also contributed to the daily Kathimerini.

INTERVIEW

Q.: What are three enduring lessons you learned during your studies at DEREE?

• It is fine to be undecided about your major when you are 18 years old
• Read throughout the semester and not only at the final exams
• Elective courses prove to be more important at times

Q.: Describe DEREE in three words.

• In touch with the students
• How college life should be in public universities
• Modern

Q.: What is one of your favorite DEREE memories?

Albert Arouh giving a D at all the students, including myself, at the first exam in economics. Should I drop the class immediately…?

Q.: What do you miss most from your days at DEREE?

The time I spent researching in the library.

Q.: Where was your favorite spot on campus?

I enjoyed so much the courses… so the classrooms, I guess and I am not a nerd.

Q.: Who was your favorite professor and why?

Ms Carayianni for her love of History, Ms Saporitti for her passion for art history and Mr Vlavianos who combines history, politics, poetry and philosophy in one class, giving us the pleasure of his famous debates.

Q.: Have you kept in touch with any of your classmates?

Yes I have. But if we continued the alumni basketball trainings I could be more in touch!

Q.: How did DEREE help prepare you for your professional life?

It helped me to be more self-confident.

Q.: What’s the greatest piece of advice you’ve ever received?

At a difficult professional moment the Greek proverb: It is in a storm that you can tell the good captain

Q.: What (or who) inspires you?

Greeks who make through their life, work or passion, Greece famous. Reporters who combine journalism with literature.

Q.: Your motto in life?

“Be a newspaperwoman, if only for the excuse it gives you to seek out at once the object of any sudden passion”
The advice the mother of Katharine Graham, owner of the Washington Post, gave to her daughter.

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View all our Alumni Success Stories here.

Alumna Profiled: Sophia Papaioannou
Graduated: DEREE ’93
Lives in: Athens, Greece
Current Position: Journalist / Editorial Director, Huffington Post Greece

“Be a newspaperwoman, if only for the excuse it gives you to seek out at once the object of any sudden passion”
The advice the mother of Katharine Graham, owner of the Washington Post, gave to her daughter.

SOPHIA PAPAIOANNOY a well-known and respected journalist, has become Editorial Director at the Huffington Post Greece (24Media) which was launched in November 2014.

Ms Papaioannou also presents the weekly show “360 degrees” on ALPHA TV, and has co-hosted and presented investigative journalism programs on Greek Television (MEGA TV, SKAI TV) for over a decade, most notably “The Files.” A curious mind, she has traveled the world and reported from Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East, and has also penned her first book Hidden in the Aegean (2011). Ms Papaioannou studied English Literature at the University of Athens, and History at DEREE-The American College of Greece (‘93), following up her undergraduate degrees with a Master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from New York University. In Greece, she has also worked on the international news desk at ANTENNA TV, at the foreign press office of the Athens 2004 Bid Committee for the Olympic Games, and has also contributed to the daily Kathimerini.

INTERVIEW

Q.: What are three enduring lessons you learned during your studies at DEREE?

• It is fine to be undecided about your major when you are 18 years old
• Read throughout the semester and not only at the final exams
• Elective courses prove to be more important at times

Q.: Describe DEREE in three words.

• In touch with the students
• How college life should be in public universities
• Modern

Q.: What is one of your favorite DEREE memories?

Albert Arouh giving a D at all the students, including myself, at the first exam in economics. Should I drop the class immediately…?

Q.: What do you miss most from your days at DEREE?

The time I spent researching in the library.

Q.: Where was your favorite spot on campus?

I enjoyed so much the courses… so the classrooms, I guess and I am not a nerd.

Q.: Who was your favorite professor and why?

Ms Carayianni for her love of History, Ms Saporitti for her passion for art history and Mr Vlavianos who combines history, politics, poetry and philosophy in one class, giving us the pleasure of his famous debates.

Q.: Have you kept in touch with any of your classmates?

Yes I have. But if we continued the alumni basketball trainings I could be more in touch!

Q.: How did DEREE help prepare you for your professional life?

It helped me to be more self-confident.

Q.: What’s the greatest piece of advice you’ve ever received?

At a difficult professional moment the Greek proverb: It is in a storm that you can tell the good captain

Q.: What (or who) inspires you?

Greeks who make through their life, work or passion, Greece famous. Reporters who combine journalism with literature.

Q.: Your motto in life?

“Be a newspaperwoman, if only for the excuse it gives you to seek out at once the object of any sudden passion”
The advice the mother of Katharine Graham, owner of the Washington Post, gave to her daughter.

1