“I am blessed to have this opportunity to participate in this year’s festival with so many talented young individuals. FAITH’s support encourages young people to participate in events such as this one and share their connection to their faith.” – Stephanie Haviaris
Since 2007, FAITH has awarded scholarships to the top finalists of the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical festival national competition. The festival gives students a local and national platform to write and speak about the impact their heritage and identities have in their lives and contemporary culture. This year, finalists gave their speeches virtually and spoke on topics ranging from how they navigated COVID-19 within their churches and communities to how they identify and take action in their roles as stewards of the environment. See the winners below.
Senior Division Finalists
1st Prize: John Vranas, Chicago
2nd Prize: Elizabeth Karides, New Jersey
3rd Prize: Ana Dobrot, Detroit
Honorable Mention
Stephanie Vagelos, Atlanta
Stavros Spanakis, Pittsburgh
Andreas Lolis, Direct Archdiocese
Lecau Macesanu, Denver
Kathleen Virsik, San Francisco
Junior Division Finalists
1st Prize: Maria Daniels, San Francisco
2nd Prize: Calista Leroux, Boston
3rd Prize: Demetra Chudley, Direct Archdiocese
Honorable Mention
Anna Chacona, New Jersey
Stephanie Haviaris, Detroit
Kyriaki Lagoutaris, Atlanta
Michael Tarpley, Denver
Alexandra Rupp, Chicago
Evan Jordanides, Pittsburgh