The Alpha Omega Council honors its late founder, Peter Agris, by presenting the Peter Agris Memorial Awards annually to several Greek Americans pursuing studies in the fields of journalism and communications.
Established and conducted in cooperation with the Agris family, the program was established in 1993 and has provided $900,000 in critical funding to 170 deserving graduate and undergraduate students, creating the only network of Greek American media professionals in the United States.
Peter Agris was the founder and publisher of The Hellenic Chronicle, for fifty years the premier Greek American national English-language weekly newspaper in the United States. An Archon of the Greek Orthodox Church, he was a trustee of Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology, Anatolia College, and The American College of Greece. Also a proud Ahepan, Mr. Agris worked tirelessly throughout his life to promote his Hellenic heritage and Orthodox faith in America and to improve relations between the United States and Greece.
Criteria for Award candidates include:
- Hellenic ancestry and United States citizenship
- Current full-time enrollment as a journalism or communications major at the graduate or undergraduate level at an accredited college or university
- Work and internship experience in the journalism or communications fields and active participation in school, community, and church organizations
- A minimum of a 3.0 GPA and demonstrated financial need
The $5,000 non-renewable annual scholarships are presented at The Alpha Omega Council’s Annual Lifetime Achievement Award Banquet held annually in the Fall.
Click here to view the requirements and information needed to apply via email or regular mail.
Alternatively, you may choose to mail your application with the form provided. Click here to download the award application to email or mail.
2025 Award Recipients
ZACHARY BALCOFF is a senior at Michigan State University, majoring in Journalism with a concentration in Media Design and minors in Graphic Design, Animation, Comics Storytelling in Media, and Theatre. Zachary has served as an intern at The Washington Post, managing editor of The State News, and president of MSU’s Society for News Design (SND). He is also a social media assistant for MSU’s School of Journalism, a member of VIM Magazine’s art team, and the social chair of Gamma Epsilon Tau, MSU’s first art and design fraternity. Involved in journalism since seventh grade, he has won more than 50 journalistic awards at the state and national level, including for SND’s 46th Creative Competition. Zachary is the son of Brian and Maria Pervolarakis Balcoff of Troy, MI.
KAELYN BENOIT is a senior at Florida Southern College, pursuing a double major in Media Strategies & Production, as well as Multimedia Journalism. Taking an active role in her freshman year as a member of FSCTV, Florida Southern College’s broadcast television station, she has served as producer for FSCTV’s weekly news show, “The Weekly Report,” and currently serves as Station Manager. Beyond the cameras and television programs, Kaelyn also works as the Online Media Editor for The Southern, Florida Southern’s on campus newspaper, in print since 1918. Working in tandem with the print editors, she manages both the Instagram and the website for the publication. Her work can be found across various on-campus publications, including The Southern and Interlaken. With a passion for storytelling and feature stories, she hopes to work for a broadcast/film production company. Formerly a Massachusetts resident, Kaelyn is the daughter of John and Amy Vlastos Benoit of Minneola, FL.
JOHN KONSTANTINE CHRONOPOULOS is a junior at Northeastern University, majoring in Journalism with minors in Psychology, International Affairs, and History. He has served as the culture editor for The Avenue Magazine—Northeastern’s premier fashion and culture publication and spent a semester in France at the American University of Paris. John is currently in Athens, Greece, interning at TO BHMA International Edition as a writer and editorial assistant, and hopes to pursue a career in magazine or long-form feature writing, exploring various facets of culture and their interactions. John is the son of Konstantinos and Eleni Chronopoulos of Boston, MA.
ANASTASIOS JOSEPH MARCOPULOS is a recent graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a degree in Communication. He interned in Prague with the Czech marketing agency 7-Stones, where he gained international experience in sales, publicity, and brand strategy. Taso has dedicated considerable time to youth-focused service, including supporting children affected by cancer at Kesem, volunteering at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Camp, and coaching youth sports and leadership programs across Los Angeles. He also founded UCSB’s first Greek Orthodox Association and later established the first nationally competitive Greek folk dance group in Santa Barbara. Returning recently to mainland Greece as a grant recipient through the Folk Dance Festival (FDF), he researched regional Greek folk dances and traditions and has presented his findings through a cultural seminar. Currently working with ADP, a global leader in human capital management, he is the son of Evie and George Marcopulos of Hollywood, CA.
MARY CAROLYN MARKIS is a junior at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, pursuing a major in Social Anthropology and Art History, with a concentration in Ethnographic Journalism. Mary is a board member and writer for Her Campus International, a female-led newsletter; photographer for the school newspaper, The Saint, and the social media manager for the Photography Society. She has worked at the Greek Consulate in Boston for two summers, perfecting her Greek language skills and assisting members of the Greek community. She also interned for two years as a photojournalist for The National Parks Service, advocating for land and animal conservation, and earned her Girl Scout Gold Award for creating Girls’ Got Grit, promoting confidence in sports and nutrition in young women. Mary has been dancing Greek since age five and continues to perform in Cretan cultural events in both the United States and Greece. Passionate about human rights and travel, her goal is to pursue a career in photojournalism. Mary is the daughter of Emanuel and Donna Markis of Wellesley, MA.
AVA TSAPATSARIS is a graduate of New York University, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in three years with a concentration in the Public Understanding of Science, Medicine, and Health, and is currently a graduate student at Harvard University in the Master’s in Media, Medicine, and Health program. Ava is an Emmy Award–winning reporter for WWOR-TV’s Teen Kids News and has also authored multiple peer-reviewed journal articles in the field of medicine. She hopes to pursue a career that blends her passions for medicine and broadcast journalism. Ava is the daughter of Peter and Giovanna Tsapatsaris of Eastchester, NY.
2024 Award Recipients
NICHOLAS ANTONAKAS is a senior at Emerson College majoring in Sports Communication with a minor in Journalism. Nicholas interned with WCVB Channel 5, is an executive producer for sports and web writing at Emerson’s broadcast news station WEBN, and served as the Sports Producer at Arlington Community Media Inc. for two years. He was selected to travel with WEBN to cover events, including Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. While reporting at the Super Bowl, he interviewed popular NFL names such as Jerry Rice and Robert Kraft. Nicholas hopes to find a career in broadcast journalism after graduation, preferably following his passion for sports. Nicholas is the son of Peter and Nicole Antonakas of Arlington, MA.
MARIANA APOSTOLATOS is a senior at the University of Miami pursuing a major in Journalism with a minor in Strategic Communication. Mariana interned for CNBC’s Talent Development Team and local Miami news station WSVN 7 News and was a production assistant for NBC’s Republican Presidential Debate in Miami in 2023. On campus, she is a student news anchor and reporter for Newsbreak, a fast-paced news show on UMTV University of Miami Television. Additionally, Mariana contributes as an entertainment reporter for Distraction Magazine’s TikTok channel, focusing on fashion and campus culture, and previously served as an editorial intern for PhotoBook Magazine, an online fashion magazine. Before attending the University of Miami, Mariana studied for a year at the American College of Greece in Athens, where she became the lead reporter for the Videography Club and served as the main reporter and interviewer at the Women’s Sailing Festival at the Athens International Sailing Center in 2022. Mariana aspires to a career in entertainment journalism. Originally from Kefalonia and Glyfada, Greece, Mariana is the daughter of Nick and Vily Apostolatos of Bronxville, NY.
ILEANA EXARAS is a master’s degree candidate at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She received her undergraduate degree in International Relations at Lehigh University and also studied Post-Soviet Public Policy at Moscow State University & Moscow State Institute for International Relations. Ileana has held internships at CNN International, in London, Euronews in Paris, and the Press Office of the Greek Embassy in Moscow. She has also participated in emerging leader training programs in Greece, Vienna, and Armenia and has freelanced for The Knockturnal Magazine in New York City. Raised between Athens and New York City, she is a native English and Greek speaker, has intermediate knowledge of Russian and Spanish, and is also involved with music, dance, and theatre. Ileana is the daughter of Spiros Exaras and Yanna Katsageorgi of Athens, Greece.
KATHERINE DOROTHY MANATOS is a junior at New York University pursuing a major in Media, Culture, and Communications, and a minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. She is actively involved as a copy editor in the NYU newspaper Washington Square News and recently worked as a publicity intern for The Oriel Company. Throughout her studies, she has maintained a focus on arts journalism and public relations. Katherine is the daughter of Nicholas and Despina Manatos of Wall, NJ.
ANASTASIA PETRIDIS is a junior at Emerson College pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a minor in Pre-Law. She has previously interned at The Somerville Times and ENSPIRE Magazine and has photojournalism contributions to The National Herald, Greek City Times, and The Hellenic Daily News, NY. Her work has appeared in the publications of several journalism organizations on campus, including Gauge Magazine, Five Cent Sound Magazine, WEBN News Boston, and The Berkeley Beacon. Passionate about photojournalism, she hopes to continue projects surrounding the Greek American diaspora. Anastasia is the daughter of Dimitrios Petridis of Athens, Greece, and Aristea Slikas of Philadelphia, PA.
ELENI TECOS is a junior at Northwestern University double-majoring in Journalism and History while simultaneously pursuing the Segal Design Certificate through the McCormick School of Engineering. At Northwestern, Tecos serves as the Director of Design & Managing Editor of Scene + Heard Magazine and the Head of Design & Arts Editor of Helicon Literary + Arts Magazine. In addition, Eleni is an established graphic designer with Northwestern’s Student Affairs Marketing firm and plans to pursue graduate work in Medill’s Accelerated Master’s Program. Raised in Metro-Detroit, Eleni is the oldest child of Bill and Gina Tecos.
