National Hellenic Student Association of America – PO Box 1850, Cleveland OH 44106 – www.nhsaofamerica.org

NHSA Convention Spring 2011 Report:

On April 8-10, 2011 the National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA) of America held its 5th

semiannual convention in Chicago. A young organization founded only 2 years ago and entirely

student driven, the NHSA proudly had an unprecedented attendance of over 100 students

representing 30 universities across the United States and Canada. Furthermore, at the convention’s

mentorship fair and lecture series, NHSA connected attending members with over 50 professionals

and academicians in addition to many distinguished speakers. Our honored speakers included

Alexi Giannoulias, Theodore Spyropoulos, Endy Zemenidis, Dimitris Logothetis, and

Constantine Zografopoulos. More information can be found on our website

www.nhsaofamerica.org

The success of the Chicago convention was a testament to all that the NHSA has accomplished

since its re-establishment in 2009. The organization has grown exponentially in terms of

membership starting off at just 9 founding universities in April of 2009 and expanding to over 40

to this day. These facts are evidence that the organization is accomplishing its overarching goal of

becoming the Unified Voice of Hellenic Students and the Carrier of Hellenism and Paideia

(Education) across North America. The NHSA and all of its members will continue to work

towards this goal by sharing and allocating their resources to promote a support network of

Hellenism in academic and local communities.

Convention Highlights

The Professional Mentorship Fair afforded convention attendees the opportunity to

speak in depth with over 50 distinguished Hellenic professionals in the fields of law,

healthcare, academia, entrepreneurship, politics, engineering, and many more.

The Leadership Lecture Series included captivating, inspirational discussions led by

prominent members of the Hellenic Community who shared their views on the future of

the NHSA, Greece, and Hellenes worldwide. Students were able to ask questions and

participate in discussions with these various speakers previously listed.

Elections were held for the NHSA Board for the 2010-2011 Academic Year. New

changes included the implementation of “Co-Presidents” which serves as an

encouragement for cooperation and a facilitation for diversity. In addition, Regional

Directors were elected to support and accelerate the growth of the NHSA at the local

level, united local Hellenic student organizations, and bridge the gap between the national

and local levels of the organization.

The NHSA Advisory Board was launched with initial members at this point being Alexi

Giannoulias, Theodore Spyropoulos, Elena Panaritis, and Yiorgos Nikoletakis.

National Hellenic Student Association of America – PO Box 1850, Cleveland OH 44106 – www.nhsaofamerica.org

The NHSA has been incorporated as a not-for-profit organization and is in the process

of forming a 501(c)3 non-profit status foundation branch thanks to the help of our

attorney, George Limbert J.D.

NHSA Initiatives were further developed and will be continued with a hope and desire for

even greater success in the future. Though further information is available on the NHSA

website, these include: The NHSA Student Exchange program, the Info-Sessions Project,

Greek Economy’s Restorative Efforts Project, Hellenic Entrepreneurship Symposiums, and

the Greek-American Career Center online job and internship portal.

Numerous social events such as the Midwest Pan-Hellenic Youth Ball hosted by the

Chicago Universities gave attendees the opportunity to form new friendships with other

Hellenic students from across the country.

Proposals were presented for the location of the upcoming convention in Fall 2011, and

it was decided with great anticipation and excitement that Hellenic Student Associations at

13 universities in Boston, MA will cooperate to host the NHSA Convention Fall 2011!

The NHSA and all of its members wish to sincerely thank everyone who made this convention

such a great success. The ongoing generous support from the NHSA’s Sponsors has afforded the

organization full autonomy in financing our projects and events at the local and national level. In

addition, the Hellenic Student Associations of Loyola University Chicago, University of

Illinois at Chicago- UIC, Northwestern University, and DePaul University must also be

thanked and praised for their collaborative efforts in planning and hosting the convention; it is this

type of cooperation between Hellenic student organizations that the NHSA encourages for the

future. As we look forward to the next convention, the NHSA will work diligently towards

achieving its overarching goals and adhering to its founding mission.

The elected 2011-2012 board is

Co-President: Eirini Schlosser – Ohio State University

Co-President: Evangelos Sfakianakis – Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Vice President of External Affairs: Alex Orfanos – Cornell University

Vice President of Internal Affairs: Stephanie Cicatiello – Drexel University

Treasurer: Toula Leberis – Loyola University Chicago

Academics Director: Stavroula Chrysanthopoulou – Brown University

Communications Director: Jesus Kalergis – Boston University (Alumni)

Fundraising Director: Alexia Reboutsakou – Wheaton College

Programs Director: Irene Koumi – Loyola University Chicago (Alumni)

The elected 2011-2012 Regional Directors are

Midwest Regional Director: Angela Koumi – Loyola University Chicago

New England Regional Director: Petros Kasfkis – Boston University

D.C./Maryland/Philadelphia Director: Timothy Youtsos – Johns Hopkins University

Northern California Regional Director: Petros Anastos-Prastacos – UC Santa Cruz

Southeast Regional Director: Giorgos Laskaris – Duke University

Tri-State Regional Director: Valia Mitsou – City University New York