The challenges the world faced this year have highlighted the extraordinary need for the innovative minds, research and science of those who follow STEM careers. Our 75 FAITH STEM Scholars are part of a network representing some of the brightest and most accomplished young Greek Americans–from future microbiologists and data scientists to software and biomedical engineers.
FAITH STEM Scholars are young people like Christina Bourantas, a junior at DePauw University majoring in physics, who interned at a children’s hospital and aspires to develop prosthetics for those living with neuromuscular conditions; and Paul Debassio, a pre-med senior at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, who began volunteering in a student-run EMT program and is now doing a full-time internship at Yale New Haven Hospital with a focus on pediatric hematology; and Loukas Carayannopoulos, a senior nuclear engineer major at MIT who studied alternative energy sources at General Atomics in San Diego. While displaying an exemplary range of innovation and achievement in a time of immense need, they averaged a 3.8 GPA while remaining committed to their philanthropic endeavors and Greek communities. Jonathan Kraft, a senior at Yale University with a resume boasting software engineering internships at Amazon and Praxis Electronic Medical Records in Buenos Aires, travels to Lesvos, Greece to build bikes for children of refugees. Vivian Karamitros, a junior in statistics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who interns for Liberty Mutual and provides marketing and data analytics for small businesses, directs a non-profit she founded providing first-generation students like herself with resources to simplify the college application process.
At the recommendation of FAITH Founder Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, the FAITH Scholarship for Excellence in STEM program was implemented in 2012 to promote interest in STEM disciplines among young Greek and Hellenic leaders by supporting all four years of candidates’ undergraduate studies provided they major in a STEM field, maintain a 3.6 minimum GPA and participate in organizations related to the Greek and Hellenic Orthodox community throughout their college career.
BELOW: Read how 2020 FAITH STEM Scholars are contributing to their communities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
