Love of learning, love of leading, love of helping, and love of sharing…
In the spirit of the Valentine's holiday, we are highlighting how our FAITH Scholars take time to share the love with their communities while excelling in their academic, extracurricular and professional pursuits. We are also pleased to share just a few of their accomplishments along with the kind words and touching notes they sent in expressing their love and appreciation for the FAITH Scholar network and their gratitude to our Founders for setting an inspired example to follow.
Thank you for your support and Happy Valentines Day!
Michael Ferrell, 2022 FAITH Scholar
Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles
"I am excited to be part of the FAITH Scholar community. Thank you for awarding me with this honor. My parents are beyond proud and my motivation to achieve more is through the roof!"
Michael (top left) actively volunteered at after-school programs for youth, ran food drives and organized community clean ups (pictured). He was class valedictorian, captain of the high school football team and mentored underclassmen.
Melina Varlamos, 2019 FAITH Scholar
Neuroscience, University of Michigan
“I am in awe with how generous the FAITH community is and continues to be.Thank you for rewarding students like me for keeping our Greek roots strong, our community service plentiful and our grade points solid. I will repay this kindness one day when I begin my career in medicine.”
Melina is a research assistant in the Department of Otolaryngology, President of the Hellenic Student Association and Chair of the pre-medical fraternity. She recently won the 2022 Classical Translations Contest for translating a piece on refugee healthcare.
Rafaella Lambrinos, 2022 FAITH Scholar
Sociology, University of Pennsylvania
"I am honored to be recognized as a FAITH Scholar and am grateful for FAITH’s generosity. I feel incredibly blessed for FAITH’s support and truly hope to make the Greek community proud. My goal is to gain a strong education so that I too can help others and pay it forward."
Early in the pandemic, Rafaella founded the “Adopt a Yiayia and Pappou” program to pair youth with senior citizens for weekly chats. The successful program was adapted by many parishes throughout New Jersey. Rafaella also wrote for the school newspaper, served as National Honor Society vice president, sang in choir and led the photography club.
Stelios Halioris, 2019 FAITH Scholar
Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for selecting me as a recipient of the FAITH-STEM continuation award. As a senior, FAITH's scholarships over the past 4 years have contributed tremendously to my education. I look forward to the day that I can pay it forward to
future generations."
Stelios is a pressure regulation engineer intern for the National Grid. Along with serving as a representative for the American Society of Mechanical Engineering, he volunteers with his parish and is captain of the club basketball team
Eleni Theocharopoulou, 2022 FAITH Scholar; Education, The College of New Jersey
"I feel extremely honored to be part of the FAITH Scholars network and reflect its values through caring for others and having a desire to make the world a better place. As an aspiring teacher, my primary goal is to make a positive and lasting impact on my students’ lives. The connections I will be forming with my fellow FAITH scholars will help inspire and motivate me in this journey."
Eleni authored lesson plans as a teaching assistant and member of "Tomorrow's Teachers" and founded her own tutoring program for Greek students. She volunteered with “Care for Kids” and “Students Concerned for the Needy” and was active in choir, literary magazine club and band.
