1st Greek Honor Society In U.S. Formed At SJU

St. John's University Senior Veronica Georgiades was instrumental in founding the Modern Greek Language Honor Society SJU. This month, a Modern Greek Language Honor Society was formed at St. John's University, thanks to the determination and perseverance of St. John's University Senior Veronica Georgiades. "I was inducted into the Italian Honor Society in May 2008 in an inspiring ceremony," she said. "I realized then that it is time to form an honor society for students of Modern Greek." The society is the first such organization for the study of Modern Greek in the United States.

"The formation of a Modern Greek Language Honor Society without funding will create a precedent in higher education," Dr. Herbert Pierson, chairman of the SJU Languages and Literature Department, said. The honor society was created under the auspices of the Pan- Arcadian Federation of America. Federation President Dimitrios Filios was assisted by SJU Instructors Dr. John G. Siolas and Catherine Tsounis, Pierson and Professor Willard Yoder, SJU Coordinator of Minor Languages. The Pan Arcadian Federation of America is a nationwide organization dedicated to promoting the principles of democracy and the ideals of Hellenism, the preservation of the Greek language and the Orthodox Church and securing the support of Arcadian and Arcadian-American philanthropic and educational institutions. For more information, visit www.panarcadian.org/aboutus.

Georgiades, a high honors student and a recipient of the Pan-Cyprian Association and Athanasiades Foundation scholarships, was born in Queens and raised in Cyprus. She plans to attend graduate school for a higher degree in psychology. Her father, a CUNY Queens College graduate, is from Limassol; her mother, a St. John's University graduate, is from Ammogostos (Famagusta), from which city her family fled during the Turkish invasion.

For more information, contact tsounisc@stjohns.edu and siolasj@ stjohns.edu.