Early January 43 FAITH Scholars gathered for the “FAITH Scholars Luncheon” at Kellari Taverna in New York to be recognized for their academic achievements and exceptional contributions to their communities. The group of young Greek-American leaders consisted of university students and recent graduates representing a small selection of the over 800 members in the FAITH Scholar network.
The luncheon was attended by FAITH Scholars from the tri-state area and as far as Alabama and Florida and provided a forum for discussion and an opportunity for students to share leading issues facing their communities and the creative ways they’ve worked to solve them. Topics ranged from advocating for care of the elderly and disenfranchised to establishing sustainability practices in parishes, to further professional and educational advice from current and recent graduates who have started their careers and founded their own companies.
After the luncheon, FAITH Scholars attended a private tour of the extraordinary exhibition Africa & Byzantium and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator Dr. Andrea Myers Achi led FAITH Scholars through a collection of treasures and pieces that showcased the artistic contributions and pivotal interactions in Africa during the Byzantine empire and the lasting impact on the Mediterranean world. Following the tour, FAITH Scholars had the opportunity to further explore the museum and other exhibitions.
In closing, FAITH Scholars were reminded that “the Founders of FAITH were part of the Greatest Generation and overcame tremendous difficulties to achieve professional success while selflessly serving their communities and country. The Founders credit their Hellenic heritage and Greek Orthodox faith as keys to their success and philanthropic endeavors and founded FAITH as a community to support and inspire future generations to continue the tradition of excellence and exemplify the Greek Orthodox values of giving back and enacting positive changes within their communities and world. Along with academic achievement, FAITH Scholars are selected based on their demonstrated leadership within the Hellenic-American community and their commitment to improving the world around them and therefore are the future of our community.”
This year, FAITH celebrates its twentieth anniversary supporting the development of innovative educational, cultural, and scholarship programs that promote Hellenism, an understanding of the Greek Orthodox faith, and the relationship of the two to America’s history and multicultural landscape for young people, FAITH has proudly awarded over 2,100 grants and scholarships to the best and brightest young leaders of the Hellenic-American and Greek Orthodox community through its prestigious FAITH Scholarships for Academic Excellence, FAITH-STEM scholarships, Fulbright-FAITH Scholarship collaboration and more.
