Philo4Thought Hellenic Professional Mentoring Initiative is pleased to present this month's featured Hellenic Young Professional! The goal of our publications is to provide positive, successful role models who will inspire the next generation of young professionals. Preliminary criteria for YPM candidates is that they are actively engaged in an entrepreneurial initiative or have made a successful career for themselves, thereby serving as strong role models to the next generation of young professionals. Candidates are typically of Hellenic origin and part of a humanitarian (educational, sociological, scientific, etc.) or environmentally-conscious field. Given the gradual expansion of our readership, we currently interview candidates who embrace a specific Hellenic philosophy best described in a word: Philotimo (φιλότιμο). The most important qualifications all our candidates share are the spirit and compassion to persevere, and the heart to share their knowledge and experience with others.

​ Father Sotiri Michalatos (Holy Cross Seminary; Economics University of Buffalo) grew up in Westchester, NY. His days in GOYA were instrumental in forming his love for Christ and he participated in various Archdiocesan programs throughout high school and college, including Homeless Ministries, Project Mexico, Camp Saint Paul and Ionian Village. Deacon Sotiri joined the Archdiocesan Cathedral of Holy Trinity family shortly after graduation and quickly became one of the community’s most creative and energetic young professionals, initially working as a part-time Pastoral Assistant and a part-time religious instructor and technological support specialist at the Cathedral School. His tireless effort was most notably recognized in December 2019, after two years of working at Cathedral, and he was ordained by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros. He, along with his wife Kathy and daughter Evangelia, are valuable members of the greater NYC Hellenic and Orthodox community! ​

CREDIT & RECOGNITION: Many thanks to Fr. Sotiri for sharing this story with us and to all those from Westchester through the five boroughs who took the time to nominate him as a recipient of our 2020 Hellenic Young Professionals Certificate of Excellence!