Vlahakis-Hanks Undergraduate Scholarship

Vlahakis-Hanks Undergraduate Scholarship

The new Vlahakis-Hanks Undergraduate Scholarship aims to promote Hellenic values, leadership, and social and environmental responsibility. This annual undergraduate scholarship is available to currently enrolled students in the UCLA College of Letters and Science. Eligible students must demonstrate leadership in Hellenic causes, environmental issues, or community empowerment. 

Award: up to $3,000

This scholarship, which will be available beginning 2023-24, was established with the support and mentorship of visionary businesswoman, Hellenic advocate and UCLA alumna Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, who is President and CEO of ECOS and chair of the UCLA SNF Hellenic Center’s Community Advisory Board.

To apply
Apply through the Financial Aid Office scholarship portal

  • You must complete an online “UCLA Scholarship Application” available through MyUCLA or scholarship portal.
  • Personal Statement: Complete as part of above basic application, not to exceed 250 words.
  • Leadership Statement: Describe in 350-500 words (maximum of 4,000 characters including spaces) how you demonstrate leadership in one or more of these areas: Hellenic causes, environmental issues, or community empowerment.
  • Curriculum vitae or resume.
  • Award listing: https://ucla.academicworks.com/opportunities/47391

Deadline: February 15, 2024

For inquiries, contact hellenic@humnet.ucla.edu.

2023-24

As a sophomore at UCLA, Stella Anastasi’s academic journey has been inevitably tied to her relationships and experiences with the Hellenic Students’ Community (HSC). In spite of the fact that she is an Applied Mathematics major, her commitment to preserving and celebrating her Hellenic heritage has played a central role in her experience at UCLA.

Since the club’s inception in the Fall of 2022, she has held a board position, actively helping organize and carry out various cultural events and symposiums, bringing together both experienced and novice community members in engaging with Hellenic culture. Undertaking these initiatives serves not only to highlight her cultural heritage but also to foster a sense of unity and pride within the Hellenic community at UCLA. This is especially important to Anastasi, as, being the only Cypriot member, she feels it is her duty to bring Hellenes from different countries and backgrounds to strengthen further the student community. With regard to her studies, and in parallel to her dedication to the HSC, Anastasi has continuously strived for academic excellence, notably by rapidly climbing to upper-division coursework as a second-year student, which presents a significant challenge. As a result, she has also become a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society, which recognizes student excellence from the onset of higher education.

Ourania Efraimoglou

The value of serving her community has been instilled in Ourania Efraimoglou from a young age. At UCLA, she is majoring in Economics with double minors in Mathematics and Data Engineering. Her commitment to the community is reflected in her leadership roles in Hellenic causes.

Noticing a dispersed presence of Hellenes in Los Angeles, Efraimoglou took the initiative to establish the Hellenic Students’ Community at UCLA (HSC), an organization dedicated to uniting students of Hellenic descent on campus. As president of the HSC, she organizes a variety of events designed to bring together Greek and Cypriot students, fostering strong connections and a sense of belonging. These events, ranging from cultural celebrations to networking mixers, have attracted participants not only from UCLA but also from other universities across Los Angeles, including USC, LMU, and CalTech. The group’s Easter celebrations, for instance, have become a significant gathering, emphasizing the necessity of creating a supportive “home away from home” for students.

Aspiring to leave a lasting impact on the Hellenic community, Efraimoglou now serves as the National Hellenic Student Association’s (NHSA) Regional Director of the West Coast. In this role, she is working to unite students and young professionals in the region with Hellenes nationwide. Her goals are to strengthen ties to their heritage and to build a network that empowers Hellenic students, providing them with the resources and connections they need to succeed.