The Languages and Cultures Student Prize-giving Ceremony was a notable event that took place on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at the Arts Precinct Function Centre of Macquarie University in Sydney. The ceremony recognized outstanding students from various language programs. Maria Tsakonas, who excelled in Intermediate Modern Greek, and Zina Gabrielle Fotakis, who stood out in Advanced Modern Greek, were awarded the prestigious AHEPA NSW Prizes, each receiving a cash reward of $500. AHEPA NSW, who kindly contributed to the prizes, was represented by its President. Meanwhile, the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, was represented by the Head of the Public Diplomacy Office of Greece in Sydney, Constantinos Yiannakodimos. Other attendees included Theophilus Premetis, the President of Macquarie Greek Studies Foundation, the Foundation’s Secretary, Ioannis Theodoridis, and Dr Jane Hanley, Discipline Chair of Languages and Cultures, Macquarie University, who emceed the event.
Maria Tsakonas shared how studying Greek in Macquarie University has been a uniquely rewarding experience. She mentioned how it helped her refine her written skills and grow closer to her culture. She has always supported learning a second language and believes it is essential to work towards becoming a bilingual speaker. She expressed her gratitude to Dr Patricia Koromvokis, her Lecturer, who was always passionate and dedicated, and helped her become fluent in Greek.
Zina Gabrielle Fotakis came into her tertiary studies without any plans to study Modern Greek but went on to discover how it enhanced her employability and opened opportunities in the field of education. She received guidance and support from Dr Patricia Koromvokis at Macquarie University, who demonstrated great patience and dedication to her students. Zina thanked her family, especially her yiayia and pappou, for raising her with a connection to her heritage and instilling her cultural identity as a proud Greek Australian.
Dr Patricia Koromvokis expressed how proud she feels when she sees her students accelerate in the Greek language and enjoy their learning journey at Macquarie University. She praised Maria and Zina for being highly motivated and diligent, recognising weaknesses, and looking for ways to improve. She expressed her sincere gratitude to AHEPA NSW for the prizes and for the ongoing support towards the Program of Modern Greek Studies of Macquarie University.
Overall, this event was a shining example of how tertiary education facilities such as Macquarie University offer unique opportunities to students from diverse cultural backgrounds to learn and explore different languages, thereby encouraging cultural understanding and communication.
