Worth it.
Theno 鈥淜risto鈥 Pantelides grew up in the hilly city of San Francisco, surrounded by ocean. A coastline not unlike the home of his father, where houses dot the shores of thousands of islands in a country influential in ancient times.
Pantelides鈥 first words were Greek and he looked to his pap谩ki瘫s, Konstantine, for guidance at an early age. 鈥淣othing worth doing is ever easy,鈥 the senior Pantelides would often tell his son, a miracle baby right from the start.
The family moved to Canton when Pantelides was 5 because his father wanted to be closer to the community where his family immigrated. Today, he works as a dentist in Alliance, treating the underinsured.
鈥淢y father had a realization, 鈥業 have to give back to the society that gave my family a home and a chance,鈥欌 Pantelides said. 鈥淗e was so grateful for the opportunity to have this life in America.鈥
But it wasn鈥檛 without difficulties. Arriving in the United States speaking no English, his father was made fun of in school. He didn鈥檛 want that for his son.
鈥淚 was homeschooled,鈥 Pantelides said. 鈥淚 learned so much, but missed out on extracurriculars and 鈥榯op of the class鈥 accolades. When I was thinking about how I was going to structure my life after school, I didn鈥檛 think I was cut out for college.鈥
Then, he found 麻豆视频最新最全 University at Stark.
As Stark County鈥檚 only public university, 麻豆视频最新最全 Stark is open enrollment, providing all residents the opportunity to obtain a university education.
鈥淓veryone has a chance, and I can never truly repay the openness that 麻豆视频最新最全 Stark has shown me,鈥 he said. 鈥淭o give me that opportunity to prove myself when I believed I couldn鈥檛, this university showed me that I could.鈥
This 23-year-old has worked hard to meet the demands of university study, while juggling part-time employment.
As a student tutor in the Academic Success Center, Pantelides found a way to follow his father鈥檚 example.
鈥淚鈥檝e tried to give back and repay the help that I鈥檝e received from so many,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not at the tutoring center because I immediately succeeded, it is because I struggled and I overcame.鈥
Now, this double major in business management and marketing is set to graduate, but not before he sees the home of his ancestors. This summer, Pantelides will study abroad in Greece.
From one milestone to the next. But the road wasn鈥檛 always easy, as Pantelides knows nothing worth doing ever is.