On July 5, at the Aghia Sophia Children’s Oncology Unit, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, President of the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer “ELPIDA,” and Deree ’03 alumna Marianna Vardinoyannis, awarded Pierce and its Junior Achievement Club, as well as the student enterprise Youthelp, for its contribution to the promotion of the goals of the “ELPIDA” association.
Addressing the Pierce students and representatives, Vardinoyanni said, “Today’s gathering sends out a strong message of solidarity and support to sick children and their parents and I would like to thank you warmly for this as well as for Youthelp, the pioneering project set up by your student group. They have managed to offer an educational and business plan for a humanitarian act that is a source of inspiration for your entire school community. I thank you and congratulate you for the values and ideals you serve.”
The UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador offered an honorary plaque to ACG President David G. Horner and his wife Dr. S. Sue Horner, Resident Scholar at Deree, as well as small gifts to the students. Further honorary plaque recipients were: Dr. Dimitris Andreou, Vice President of Enrollment and Administration; Iliana Lazana, Vice President for Human Resources and Campus Services; Dr. Katerina Thomas, Dean, Frances Rich School of Fine and Performing Arts; Olga Julius, Pierce Principal; Mary Triantafillou, Executive Director of Development; and Georgios Tziros, Faculty Advisor to the Junior Achievement Club.
“Your presence in our hospital expresses your social sensitivity and your willingness to support the children in their fight against cancer,” said our alumna Marianna Vardinoyanni and added that, “It gives us great joy and strength to continue our work. Personally, I am happy also for another reason: your presence here brings back some beautiful moments: my studies in the History of Art at Deree, and the honor you bestowed on me with the Honorary Doctorate Degree in the Humanities and the Maria West Lifetime Achievement Award.”
A profoundly moving part of this adventure was when Pierce students volunteered to donate bone marrow, demonstrating their deep commitment, and high degree of awareness and responsibility. Soon, Youthelp will operate as a fully-functioning youth startup, and will be active in the area of Social Cooperative Enterprises.
ACG thanks Junior Achievement Greece for their support and cooperation, and for joining us at the Awards event. Social entrepreneurship can light up the way to a better future, and for this reason, Pierce actively and systematically supports and empowers the innovative and community-geared actions of its students!
