Theoni Scourta

Theoni Scourta has ten years of experience at CYA, having served with great success as Academic Director since 2013 and, more recently, as Executive Vice President and Head of Academic Affairs. She was appointed President of CYA effective July 2023.

Theoni Scourta was born in Patras, Greece. She is an art historian with a research interest in contemporary art. She received an MA from California State University, Los Angeles, in Art History and another MA in Comparative Literature from the University of Indianapolis. She has taught for more than 25 years in the US and Greece. She served as an assistant to the head of the Greek EPP-ED delegation to the European Parliament in Brussels for five years, after which she returned to Athens to head the academic department of AKTO Art & Design College before joining CYA.

Peggy Myresiotou

Peggy Myresiotou was born in Athens. After studying business administration and travel & tourism, she worked as an accredited travel agent in New York City for 15 years. Returning to Greece in 1991, she served as Human Resources assistant for a U.S. multinational corporation and subsequently as assistant to the managing director of a Greek bank. Ms. Myresiotou joined CYA in November 2003.

Sofia Krikela

Sofia holds a B.A. in Philosophy, Education, and Psychology from University of Ioannina. She has also received a B.A. in English Language and Literature, and an M.A. in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, from the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens. Sofia has worked as an English language teacher and as a tutor to university students. She joined CYA in 2023.

Angelos Papadopoulos

Dr. Angelos Papadopoulos was appointed Director of Studies effective July 2023.

Angelos Papadopoulos has been teaching at CYA since 2013.   He holds a BSc in Archaeology from the University of Bournemouth and an MA in Archaeology from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. After receiving his PhD from the University of Liverpool he was employed by the Department of Antiquities in Cyprus.

His research interests focus on the prehistory of the Eastern Mediterranean, especially the interconnections between the Aegean, Cyprus and the Levant, Bronze Age iconography, warfare and burial practices, while his publications focus on the above topics.

Maria Tsahas

Maria Tsahas was born in Ikaria, Greece but grew up in Northwest Indiana. She received an MS Ed from Indiana University Northwest. She taught in the US before moving back to Greece in 1999 and started working at the University of Indianapolis, Athens Campus as an Admissions Officer and Registrar. She joined CYA in 2014.

Anthi Papageorgiou

Anthi Papageorgiou studied Mass Media and Communication at the National University of Athens. She worked for several years in polling companies as administrative assistant and as an editor of various news websites.

Anthi joined CYA in 2013 and has worked in various positions of the organization. She is currently assisting the Registrar, and is responsible for student records. Her responsibilities include the creation and update of physical and digital academic records, and the generation of academic timetables, schedules, and reports. She also participates regularly in the field study trips as a group leader.

Georgia Katsarou

Georgia Katsarou joined CYA in 2006 and is responsible for all library activities. She received her B.S. in Librarianship in 2001 from the Technological Educational Institute of Athens and her M.S. in 2005 from the University of Aberystwyth. In 2015 she was trained on Managing Archival Photographs through distance learning by the Archives Association of British Columbia.

Rosa Vasilaki

Rosa Vasilaki holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Bristol (UK) and a PhD in History from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (France).   She has taught history and sociology on undergraduate and postgraduate level and conducted research in a number of universities in Greece, Israel and the UK.

Rosa Vasilaki has been teaching at CYA since 2019.

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Maro Georgoutsou

After a career in Travel and hospitality where she worked for companies such as Thomas Cook,  Aegean Airlines, GulfAir, Travelport, Classical Hotels, to name a few, Maro Georgoutsou joined CYA in Summer 2022 as Front Desk Coordinator.  Her people skills and vast knowledge of Greece make her the ideal person to welcome our students and our visitors and help them with any questions about their everyday life in Athens and Greece in general.

Katerina Kanellopoulou

After following a successful career at “Hygeia” Hospital, Katerina joined CYA in 2022, as Coordinator of HR. She has a Master’s degree in Health Unit Management, from Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM), with a focus on performance evaluation. With a deep understanding of emotional communication and a track record in navigating challenging situations, Katerina brings a unique skill set to the CYA team.

Alex Makropoulos

Alex Makropoulos holds a BA in Sociology from the American College of Greece (Deree) and an MA in International Human Recourses from the University of Northampton, UK. Alex has worked with CYA through the years, starting as a part-timer while he was still a student. He has worked for multinationals and at the U.S. Embassy in Athens in various clerical & administrative positions and he has volunteered at the municipality level on educational projects for K-12 students of underprivileged families.

Alex’s current duties at CYA involve procurement, facilities coordination, emergency communications, safety and security. He is also one of the field study group leaders.

Υiota Vouzna

Yiota Vouzna studied Photography and Video Arts in Athens. She enjoys a challenge, a trait evident in her print, advertising, web and publishing work which spans 21 years. She lived in London for three years where she worked for asos.com as a Catwalk Video Producer, Stills Photographer, and Image Editor. Yiota cooperates with G Design Studio, an award winning design consultancy based in Athens, specializing in commercial photography. She has been a member of the Choir of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) since 2013.

Yiota joined CYA in 2010 where she works as an assistant librarian and a field study group leader.

Erica Huffman (SP ’93)

Erica Huffman (CYA ’93) is a native of Portland, OR, and graduated from Whitman College with a degree in History. She has traveled to Australia, Fiji, American Samoa, Turkey, throughout Europe and the former USSR and has lived abroad in New Zealand, Guatemala, and Athens. She joined CYA staff in Athens in 1997 and later transferred to the North American Office where she has held several positions. As Director of Alumni Relations she is responsible for overseeing CYA’s alumni program, which includes updating and tracking alumni information and organizing alumni events.

Vassilis (Billy) Simopoulos

Vassilis Simopoulos was born and raised in Athens, Greece, but holds dual citizenship in Greece and the United States. He received a BA degree in Communication from the University of Southern California and a Master of Liberal Arts degree in Government from Harvard University. His professional interests focused in various service and non-profit organizations in the public as well as in the private sector when he served in the Hellenic Government first as a Special Advisor to the Secretary-General for Lifelong Learning and afterward as Head of Communications at the General Secretariat for Youth. In 2015 he returned to the private sector where he served as Project Manager for the non-profits Lascaris foundation and HOPEgenesis NPO.

Vasso Matrakouka

Vasso Matrakouka was born and raised in Athens. She studied Travel and Tourism Management in the School of Tourism in Anavyssos, Greece. She also holds a B.A. in Human Communication from the University of Indianapolis Athens Campus. After working for several years in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry in Greece and Europe, Vasso joined CYA in 2011 where she is managing the Short Term Programs Department coordinating field study, summer courses as well as faculty led programs.

Vassilis Karavassilis

Vassilis was born in New York, USA, and holds a degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management from the Technological Institute of Thessaloniki. He has experience in the travel and tourism industry working for tour operators and hotels. Before joining CYA in 2015 he worked for Delice Hotel Apartments where he held the position of reservations executive for 10 years.

Sophia Dede

Sophia Dede was born and raised in Athens, Greece. She has graduated from the department of Turkish and Modern Asian Studies of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens and holds an M.A. in Mediterranean Studies from the University of the Peloponnese. With a strong academic foundation, she transitioned into the role of an accomplished administrative professional with extensive work experience focused on education and tourism.

Litsa Bekiaris

Litsa Bekiaris was born in Greece and grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is a holder of a Bachelor of Science from the University of the Witwatersrand. She was a licensed Sworn Translator for the South African Supreme Court as well as the Consulate General of Greece in Johannesburg. From 1995 until 2005 she worked as a radio presenter & news editor for the NPV radio station where she also served on the Board of Directors. She later founded the company LT Advertising Consultants where she held the post of Marketing & Advertising Director. She returned to Greece in 2005 and worked for AKTO Art & Design College as the Academic Quality Assurance Officer and Link Tutor for Middlesex University until 2024, when she joined CYA.

Maria Malliou

Maria Malliou joined the DIKEMES/CYA family in 1995 as an accountant and currently deals with financial affairs. She was born in Stuttgart, Germany, where she lived before her family moved to Athens. Ms. Malliou has a B.A. in Accounting from the Pireaus Technical Institute and an MA in Banking from Hellenic Open University.

Vana Bica

Vana Bika joined CYA in 2001.  She holds a B.A. in Accounting from the Technological Education institute and she also received a BA in Business Administration from the University of Piraeus while working at CYA.

Evgenia Ghizas

Evgenia Ghizas was born in Germany and grew up in Toronto, Canada where she studied environmental geography. She worked many years in the finance area of a major Canadian bank before returning to Greece in 1991. While in Greece, she worked in finance and her last position before joining CYA in 2015 was Controller and Bursar at the Athens Campus of the University of Indianapolis.

Olympia Kappatou

Born and raised in Athens, Olympia has received a BA in Sociology from Panteios University and a Master’s in Philosophy from the University of Athens. She currently studies Body Psychotherapy and Psychology through the University of Strasbourg. Olympia had been working with study abroad programs as Housing Manager and Student Advisor for more than 7 years before joining CYA in January 2022. She has also served as special advisor to the Greek Secretary General for Civil Protection.

Kallia Alexandridi

Christina Tsilika

Makis Kypriotis

Makis Kypriotis spent his teen years between South Africa, Greece, and the U.S. He relocated from New York in 2021 to join CYA. Makis is a certified electrician by trade and a perfectionist by nature.

Mary Lazarikos

Mary Lazarikos, an accomplished marketing and communications strategist, brings her expertise to the North America team in May 2024. A career spanning Fortune 100 companies and nonprofit organizations, Mary has a proven track record of developing comprehensive marketing and communication plans. Her portfolio also includes successful rebranding initiatives within the insurance and consulting sectors. Mary is an alumna of Loyola University and Columbia College, both located in Chicago. Thrilled to blend her professional achievements with her Greek American heritage, Mary is dedicated to embracing traditions and fostering connections.

Spiros Kourkoulos

Spiros was born and raised in Corfu, Greece. He holds advanced degrees in Graphic Design and Illustration from Middlesex University and AKTO Art and Design College. Spiros joined CYA as an award-winning digital designer with over 20 years of experience in the field. His many skills include web design, logo creation, advertisement development, and both industrial and fashion design.

Sofia Stavropoulou

Sofia Stavropoulou was born in Greece and studied Painting and Printmaking in Scotland, at the Glasgow School of Art. Sofia coordinates CYA’s social media outlets. As a part of the CYA MediaLab team, she is interested in sharing all the fantastic things that happen at CYA.

Anesu Mukombiwa

Anesu Mukombiwa is a CYA alum and multimedia storyteller born and raised in Zimbabwe, with a Bachelor’s degree in English from Skidmore College, New York. Her global education experiences span Zimbabwe, USA, Greece, and China, deepening her dedication to diverse storytelling and enriching her perspective. Anesu has experience in videography, photography and creative writing, which fuels her commitment to storytelling across various mediums. She joined CYA in July 2024 as a Social Media Coordinator, where she will continue to bridge connections and celebrate diverse voices.

Popi Triantafyllidou

Popi Triantafyllidou was born in Athens. She received her B.S. in Business Administration specializing in Management and Computer Programming. She joined College Year in Athens / DIKEMES in 2011, with over 20 years of experience in multinational environments.

Jennifer Holland (SP ’99)

Jennifer Holland helps students with any personal problems they may encounter. Whether you are having difficulties with roommates, adjustment problems, homesickness, or just want someone to share your excitement with, she is available to discuss personal or sensitive issues in private, and in general to give encouragement and help. Born in New York, Jennifer is a CYA alumna who joined the staff in 1999 and now lives in Athens with her daughter Anais.

Angela Kouvara

Angela Kouvara was born and raised in Athens. After studying Greek Literature in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, she got her MsC in Cultural Organization Management. She has worked for many years in the Communications Department of several cultural institutions and publication houses. As a part of the Student Affairs Department, Angela is looking forward to sharing with the students her enthusiasm about Greek culture and civilization, as well as helping them get the most out of their stay in Greece!

Niki-Vanesa Evbuomwan

Niki Evbuomwan is from Nigeria, born and raised in Athens, Greece: this mixture of Africa and Europe and the advantage of observing two different worlds has played a major role in the shaping of her personality. Niki holds a bachelor’s degree in International and European Studies from the University of Piraeus and is passionate about learning by living with culturally diverse people. After an eye-opening study abroad experience in France , and an internship on promoting migrants visibility in Greece, she joined CYA as Student Affairs & DEI Assistant focusing on students’ cultural immersion, intercultural communication and political awareness.

Alexia Lingaas

Rachael Bittick (CYA Fall ’17)

Rachael Bittick joined the CYA North American team in May 2021. Her passion for international education began during a semester at CYA in 2017 while studying at the University of Michigan. After earning a BA in Anthropology, she returned to CYA to enhance the student pre-departure process. As CYA’s Student Advisor for three years, Rachael brought creativity to visa application resources and expanded the Ambassador Program. In July 2024, she became Program Manager, aiming to streamline visa applications, pre-departure requirements, and improve digital resources. Rachael is dedicated to supporting students as they prepare for their transformative journeys.

Maria Marakas

Annie Dawson

Annie Dawson joined the CYA team in August 2022. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Community Psychology at St. Cloud State University, Annie pursued her passion for higher education and international education while obtaining her Master of Science in Education in Higher Education Student Affairs at Fort Hays State University. Having spent the summer after her first year of college in Alnwick, England, Annie discovered how impactful an international experience in college can be. She has worked in the study abroad field since returning from England and is excited to continue working with students who want to explore the world with CYA!

Tessa Borchardt

Tessa Borchardt joined the CYA team in July 2024. She attended CYA in Fall 2019 while pursuing her bachelor’s in Classics and Psychology at Lewis and Clark College. After completing her undergraduate degree, she obtained her master’s in Classical Art and Archaeology at King’s College London, where she worked in student affairs for the Classics department. After she finished her master’s, Tessa represented CYA during the 2023-24 recruitment seasons. She is thrilled to join the CYA team again and share her passion for international education, Greek culture, and history with students.

Sofia Novak

Sofia graduated from DePaul University in June 2024 with a major in Economics and minors in Environmental Sustainability and Art History. In searching for new and exciting experiences, she chose to study abroad with CYA in Spring 2023. The enriching classes at CYA ignited her passion for Art History, leading her to declare it as a minor upon her return. Her time at CYA was marked by unforgettable memories and lasting friendships. Now, as a Campus Relations Representative, Sofia is eager to share her enthusiasm for CYA’s study abroad program with prospective students!

Carly Saltsman

Carly graduated from The George Washington University in May 2024 where she studied Political Science with a minor in criminal justice. Her passion for Greek mythology and the origins of democracy piqued her interest in CYA and she studied abroad in Athens in Spring 2023. CYA allowed her to flourish socially, creating lifelong friendships and discovering more about herself, which she hopes to share with other students through her role as a Campus Relations Representative.

Anna Tulenko

Anna graduated from Pitzer College in Winter 2023 with a major in Art History and a minor in Classics. She studied in Athens with CYA in Fall 2022, where she was able to expand her academic, cultural, and social horizons. Additionally, Anna studied abroad in Cork, Ireland in Fall 2023. Since then, she worked as the Development and Communications Intern at the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Anna’s time abroad, particularly in Athens, solidified her passion for travel, history, and art, and she looks forward to sharing her experiences with other potential CYA’ers as a Campus Representative.