Summer Staff - Ionian Village
2024 Summer Staff
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Aaron Davis
Summer Staff
Aaron Davis
Summer Staff
Biography
Aaron is from Sacramento, CA and currently lives in San Francisco. He attended IV Next in 2021 as a camper, and after making some of his best friends, is ready for another fantastic summer at Ionian Village. Some of Aaron’s favorite activities include cooking, chess, Byzantine Chant, and car naps. You won’t see Aaron in a basketball starting lineup, but he’s ready to bring a 6th man type of energy to any IV sporting event. Aaron is stoked to exchange his finance bro vest and SF fog for Greek linens and frappes this summer.
Metropolis
San FranciscoHidden Talent
Aaron can walk a sub-15 minute mile.
Alexa Varlamos
Summer Staff
Alexa Varlamos
Summer Staff
Biography
Alexa Varlamos has been waiting FOREVER to be a counselor at IV - literally. Both her parents served at IV as counselors so she likes to think she’s trained her whole life for IV2024. Her home parish is St. Paraskevi on Long Island, NY and she has also been blessed to have found a second home at the Direct Archdiocesan District’s Camp Saint Paul for the last 6 years, as a camper and a counselor. When she’s not at summer camp, Alexa loves to read, sing, and exercise - she’s a huge fan of CrossFit and, sadly, the New York Giants. Alexa is grateful for her IV2018 camper experience and is ecstatic for a chance to give back to the place that gave her the best summer of her life. She is looking forward to an amazing summer at IV, fully equipped with all the Yia-yia impressions, kefi, and Nescafè, she needs to succeed!
Metropolis
Archdiocesan DistrictHidden Talent
Alexa’s hidden talent is that she is a self-proclaimed, near Olympic-level, speedwalker.
Anastasia Coclin
Summer Staff
Anastasia Coclin
Summer Staff
Biography
Anastasia first attended IV in the summer of 2019, and returned for IV Next in 2021 and is thrilled to be on staff this summer! Anastasia is from the Ocean State (Rhode Island) and loves baking for friends, celebrating birthdays, walks on the beach, and traveling. Typically, you can find Anastasia cheering on a football game, blasting music, or baking her favorite cookies for friends and family. Anastasia is so excited to have endless laughs, late night talks, dance parties, and visiting some of her favorite Greek islands! Most of all, Anastasia can’t wait to give every camper the summer of their lives!
Metropolis
BostonHidden Talent
Anastasia’s hidden talent is making the best hand crochet chunky yarn blankets! She has made dozens for friends, families, and charitable organizations.
Andreas Hatzipolakis
Summer Staff
Andreas Hatzipolakis
Summer Staff
Biography
Hailing from the vibrant city of Salt Lake City, Utah, with roots stretching back to the beautiful island of Crete in Greece, Andreas is a psychology major at the University of Utah, boasting an adventurous spirit and a heart brimming with excitement for the upcoming summer at Ionian Village. Having spent his entire life Greek dancing, he loves to embrace his culture any way he can. This summer, he's all set to bring his unique blend of cultural heritage, psychological insights, and a love for adventure to the camp, promising a summer filled with fun, learning, and unforgettable experiences. As the days inch closer to June, his anticipation to dive into this journey and share it with fellow campers is palpable. With an open heart and an eagerness to explore, he's ready to make this summer an extraordinary chapter in the Ionian Village story!
Metropolis
DenverHidden Talent
Adept rock climber, capable of scaling challenging terrains with ease
Andrew Vellis
Summer Staff
Andrew Vellis
Summer Staff
Biography
Andrew Vellis is from the Metropolis of San Francisco and attends Annunciation Cathedral. Growing up in California made him absolutely love the outdoors and has led to him visiting nearly every state park. When it comes to jokes, Andrew will always find them funny. Andrew has a passion for history, which is why he absolutely loves Ionian Village as it is surrounded by history.
Metropolis
San FranciscoHidden Talent
Andrew can move one eye.
Angie Perrone
Summer Staff
Angie Perrone
Summer Staff
Biography
Angie is incredibly excited to return to camp. She attended IV Next in 2021 and knew she wanted to serve on staff. She loves to travel and spends her time thinking of her next adventure. One of her favorite memories is white water rafting in Santiago, Chile. She recently moved to Boston. You can find her rooting for the Boston sports teams and testing out chicken parm at different restaurants across the city.
Metropolis
BostonHidden Talent
Knowing the lyrics to every Taylor Swift song.
Aria Dalkas
Summer Staff
Aria Dalkas
Summer Staff
Biography
Aria cannot wait to meet each and every camper through the unforgettable experiences this summer has to offer at Ionian Village. She’s beyond excited for the faith, fellowship, bonds that will last a lifetime and of course all the KEFI! Aria enjoys surfing, new adventures, hiking, baking, and anything art related. She is constantly taking pictures of everything and loves meeting new people. She is so blessed to have the opportunity to come back to the place that brought life long friendships and strengthened her relationship with God.
Metropolis
San FranciscoHidden Talent
Can wiggle her ears :)
Bri Balafoutas
Summer Staff
Bri Balafoutas
Summer Staff
Biography
Bri Balafoutas is so excited to return to Ionian Village this summer! She was a camper in 2018, and it was the best summer of her life! Her hometown is Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Her family is from the village of Neohori, in central Greece, about two hours away from Nafpaktos. Bri loves to travel and see new places! She recently studied abroad in Siena, Italy, last year, and while there, she went to 8 new countries. In her free time, Bri loves traveling, cooking new recipes, working out, and spending time with friends and family. Bri is counting down the days until she's back in Glyfa and can't wait to meet her campers!
Metropolis
PittsburghHidden Talent
Bri is good at making detailed friendship bracelets.
Elena Iliadis
Summer Staff
Elena Iliadis
Summer Staff
Biography
A 2017 IV alum, Elena is so excited to be back at camp this summer! Originally from Moorestown, NJ, she is a first (almost second!) year medical student at Georgetown University in Washington DC. More importantly, she's a freddo cappuccino enthusiast, a self-proclaimed wii Just Dance champion, and was once voted "funniest (laughing at them)" in her college a cappella group. She loves to travel and can't wait to explore Greece, have fun and grow in faith with her campers this summer!
Metropolis
New JerseyHidden Talent
Elena is always able to catch the broccoli in her mouth at hibachi.
Evangelina Gatanas
Summer Staff
Evangelina Gatanas
Summer Staff
Biography
Evangelina Gatanas, aka Evang, grew up on Long Island, New York. She is one of three sisters and loves staying active. Evang loves sitting on the beach, being around others and loves all things fashion. She can’t wait to have the best summer of her life and meet all of you!
Metropolis
Archdiocesan DistrictHidden Talent
Braiding Hair
Jason Tagios
Summer Staff
Jason Tagios
Summer Staff
Biography
Jason Tagios from the Archangel Michael Church in Long Island, New York is thrilled to accompany you on a new adventure as he prepares to join IV as your counselor. Standing tall with a playful side, he's excited to share his love for life, the church, and all things Greek. Jason brings his energy and friendly nature that promises to make your experience unforgettable. With his love for music, expect some lively dance moves and sing-alongs. Get Ready to be inspired by Jasons passion for sharing joy and community and gear up for the best summer ever with Jason as your leader!
Metropolis
Archdiocesan DistrictHidden Talent
He can do bird call.
Julia Krantz
Summer Staff
Julia Krantz
Summer Staff
Biography
Julia Krantz is finishing up her senior year at Michigan State University with a major in Kinesiology, and is currently applying to Physical Therapy school. Julia grew up in the Lansing area attending Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Some fun facts about Julia, are she loves pizza rolls/pizza, noodles, baking, and she is currently a dance coach for her Sorority’s dance team. Julia attended IV as a staff member last year and had the time of her life and cannot wait to help more kids in building their relationship with God. Julia’s most important item (besides the necessities) to bring to camp is a journal, so you can go back a read all the amazing memories you had at IV in the months/years that follow. Julia is so excited to meet you all, and she can’t wait for another amazing summer!!!
Metropolis
Detroit
Kat Kovanes
Summer Staff
Kat Kovanes
Summer Staff
Biography
Meet Katarina Kovanes, originally from Richmond, Virginia. Introduced to camp life in 2016, she instantly fell in love with Ionian Village. Her Greek heritage is a significant aspect of her identity, and she looks forward to sharing it with fellow campers. Katarina is always eager to gain new friendships and create lasting memories. With a passion for fashion and creativity, she is driven to express herself through her style. Outside of camp, she enjoys spending time with friends, watching sports, and basking in the warmth of the sun. Excited for the upcoming summer, she is so excited for the opportunity to create unforgettable experiences.
Metropolis
New Jersey
Kemon Lardas
Summer Staff
Kemon Lardas
Summer Staff
Biography
Kemon was born and raised in Queens, NY. He grew up going to Greek school at St. Nick’s in Flushing, but his home parish is Archangel Michael in Port Washington, NY. Kemon loves spending time with his family and friends, playing guitar, eating peanut butter (skippy smooth), and going for long walks on the beach. Growing up, he was a camper at Camp Saint Paul in Litchfield, Connecticut which has given him so much joy every summer and has been the cornerstone of his faith his entire life. Kemon is beyond excited to bring tons of energy, passion for his Greek culture, and, of course, a deck of cards in order to give that same experience to his campers at Ionian Village this summer!
Metropolis
Archdiocesan DistrictHidden Talent
Kemon can macarena to any song.
Kristina Colman
Summer Staff
Kristina Colman
Summer Staff
Biography
Kristina is from Warwick, NY and belongs to the St. Nicholas Wyckoff, NJ parish. Her Hellenic roots are from Vartholomio which she can't wait to show her campers! She is excited for the H2O Olympics and visiting Kefalonia! In her free time she enjoys yoga, tennis, and skiing. She recently returned from a 5 month abroad trip and is eager to share all that she learned! Kristina is looking forward to meeting you at the chapel!
Metropolis
New JerseyHidden Talent
Komboskinia making
Kyra Melizanis
Summer Staff
Kyra Melizanis
Summer Staff
Biography
Kyra Melizanis is thrilled to be back at Ionian Village this summer!! She is from North New Jersey and her Hellenic roots are from Xios and Kastoria. She loves to travel and studied abroad in London last fall. In her free time, she loves hiking, pilates, and trying new coffee shops in New York City. Kyra is ready to meet the campers, explore the beautiful sites of Greece and of course she is excited for Kyria Sophia’s cooking!!
Metropolis
New JerseyHidden Talent
Photography
Lia Onisiphorou
Summer Staff
Lia Onisiphorou
Summer Staff
Biography
Lia Onisiphorou grew up in Houston TX, but currently lives in Dallas, TX. She is involved in the Holy Trinity Church and enjoys spending time with her friends, trying new restaurants and taking pictures of her loved ones! Lia loves to travel and experience new places and cultures! Her favorite place she visited so far was Norway. Lia went to Ionian Village in 2017 and knew she wanted to come back as a staff member. Seven years later she is back and ready to once again have the best summer of her life!
Metropolis
DenverHidden Talent
Lia can recite every word of the movie She's The Man.
Lily Marks
Summer Staff
Lily Marks
Summer Staff
Biography
Lily is from Chicago but studies in Washington D.C! She is so excited to drink Fanta, make friendship bracelets, and eat loukoumades with you all! At camp you’ll probably find Lily taking selfies, attempting to do fun impressions, and trying to find the best rest stop snack. Lily loves to draw, hike, and dance to 2000’s throwback songs. She is so excited to meet you all and have the best summer ever!
Metropolis
ChicagoHidden Talent
Making guacamole that's better than Chipotle
Lily Taylor
Summer Staff
Lily Taylor
Summer Staff
Biography
Lily Taylor grew up in Greenville South Carolina, but recently she has been calling Atlanta, Georgia home. With her background as a long distance runner, Lily has the endurance to bring a never-ending supply of energy to the Ionian Village family. After becoming All-American in Track and Field, she can’t wait to go All-Greek this summer at IV! Before IV, Lily served as a counselor at St. Stephens Summer Camp, spreading her love for Orthodoxy and Greek culture. When she’s not at camp, Lily loves exploring new running trails, doing jigsaw puzzles, and baking Greek pastries.
Metropolis
AtlantaHidden Talent
Solving the New York Times Mini Crossword super fast.
Lygia Karagiozis
Summer Staff
Lygia Karagiozis
Summer Staff
Biography
Meet Lygia Karagiozis, an enthusiastic and creative staff member at Ionian Village 2024! She's originally from Knoxville, Tennessee and is so excited to be joining the program this summer! She can't wait to meet new friends, lead her campers closer to Christ, and have a lot of fun throughout the program. Lygia has the cutest dog named Zues, enjoys paddle boarding, Greek dancing, and has a HUGE sweet tooth (especially for Kyria Sophia's loukoumades)! Currently she is graduating with her Masters in Marketing at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She can't wait to spend the summer in Greece with her fellow Orthodox Christians and make the best memories with her new friends!
Metropolis
AtlantaHidden Talent
Lygia is really good at Mario Kart
Madeleine O'Connell
Summer Staff
Madeleine O'Connell
Summer Staff
Biography
Madeleine is very excited to join the IV 2024 Staff this summer! She is looking forward to meeting and mentoring other Orthodox Christians from across America. In her spare time, Madeleine enjoys being creative, cooking, and greek dancing (of course!). Also, she loves to play team sports, enjoy the sun, and be silly with friends, so Madeleine is excited to do a lot of her favorite things this summer. While she is looking forward to the good times that are bound to happen at camp, Madeleine is equally excited to be a leader and positively impact others through IV.
Metropolis
New JerseyHidden Talent
Remaining calm under pressure!
Nick Staviski
Summer Staff
Nick Staviski
Summer Staff
Biography
The Staviski family originates from Skopelos (better known as the island Mama Mia was filmed). Having adventured to the Great Pyramids, Great Wall of China and Taj Ma Hal, his favorite place in the world is the eighth Great Wonder of the World - Ionian Village!!! Not sure if it’s the loukamathes but there’s just something magical about the relationships you build while at IV that you carry throughout your life. Niko is an engineer in the energy industry and is excited to trade his hard hat & power pointing for a super sweeper clipboard & flextivities. Only 141,451 more minutes until Ionian Village 2024 - can’t wait to help make this the BEST SUMMER EVER!!!
Metropolis
DenverHidden Talent
Can play guitar hero on expert mode….. lefty flipped.
Nicolette Papadopoulos
Summer Staff
Nicolette Papadopoulos
Summer Staff
Biography
Nicolette Papadopoulos is from Saint Luke's in Broomall, Pennsylvania. She has loved Ionian Village since she arrived as a camper in 2019 and has been dreaming of returning one day as a Staff member. While anxiously waiting to return back to camp for the best summer, you can find Nicolette taking long walks around Penn State (We Are!) with friends or catching up with her Ionian Village friends from Virginia to California. Nicolette is currently training to be the best Ionian Village counselor by practicing her Greek and preparing for Greek Word of the Day! She is so excited to get back to camp and share her love of the faith and all things Greek with her campers.
Metropolis
New JerseyHidden Talent
She can play the piano!
Paul Pappas
Summer Staff
Paul Pappas
Summer Staff
Biography
Paul Pappas is from Ascension Cathedral in Oakland, California. He has always embraced the chance to work at different summer camps to spread faith and fun to youth. A lifelong attendee of many summer camps, he has served at Metropolis of San Francisco Summer Camp at Saint Nicholas Ranch, his parish camp - Ascension Camp Ravencliff and All Saints Camp in Arizona. He’s excited to spend the summer after his final year at the University of Arizona taking on Ionian Village to make it the best summer camp experience yet! Paul has heard about Ionian Village his entire life from the people closest to him but has never attended. He’s excited to share his love for everything that the Orthodox faith and Greek culture has to offer with his campers this summer.
Metropolis
San FranciscoHidden Talent
His superb knot tying which stems from his love for the outdoors which began with Boy Scouts and moved to activities like rock climbing and fishing
Steph Chiganos
Summer Staff
Steph Chiganos
Summer Staff
Biography
Meet Stephanos Chiganos, a 22-year-old from the suburbs of Chicago who attends Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church. Steph previously counseled his metropolis summer camp, Fanari, for five years before deciding to return to IV. He has participated in Crossroads and currently assists his church in leading a post-college youth group, YAL. Steph has been part of the IV family since he attended as a camper in session one of 2019; he is very excited to come back this summer and create new memories! When asked what is one thing he wants to accomplish this summer at IV, he said: “In 2019, my cabin won the IV Olympics and I am looking to bring another championship home this summer.”
Metropolis
ChicagoHidden Talent
Fastest Frappe maker in America
Steven Priddy
Summer Staff
Steven Priddy
Summer Staff
Biography
Steven was born and raised in the wonderful city of Denver, Colorado. Whether it was for church services, GOYA basketball, Greek dance practice, or Cretan dance practice, Steven found himself at his local church more often than not while growing up. When Steven is not busy with work, he usually fills his time by butchering his Yiayias’ Greek recipes, video editing, and figuring out ways to travel the world without having to quit his job. Even though he is an aerospace engineer by trade, please contact Steven for any inquiries regarding his extensive knowledge in movie references, quoting song lyrics, and the art of fish knot tying. Steven is looking forward to hanging up the astronaut suit for the summer and embracing the faith, unforgettable memories, and sleep deprivation experienced at Ionian Village.
Metropolis
DenverHidden Talent
Being able to balance on a wine bottle (must have Maleviziotis playing in the background)
Yianni Kouretas
Summer Staff
Yianni Kouretas
Summer Staff
Biography
Coming from San Francisco, California, Yianni Kouretas is excited to provide an eventful and educational summer for campers at Ionian Village. He is looking forward to sharing his experiences learned through his faith with the campers, along with learning more through the camp. Yianni is an avid outdoorsman, and loves to experience nature through hiking, running, playing basketball, or skiing. Yianni is also an avid cook and is looking forward to bringing that creative tang to camp this summer. June is only a blink of an eye away, and he is excited to get to work and be on this adventure with you all!
Metropolis
San FranciscoHidden Talent
Can solve a Rubik’s cube in under 40 seconds.
Yianni Spears
Summer Staff
Yianni Spears
Summer Staff
Biography
Meet Yianni Spears! Yianni is a fun and enthusiastic member of the 2024 IV Summer Staff. He is currently working on his Masters for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia. In his free time, he loves athletics, spending time with friends, and making nerdy things like movie props. He is an active member of his church community, and a former IV camper coming back to make sure that the new class of campers shares the same incredible experience that he had back in 2019. Yianni is pretty easy going, and is always open and looking for new adventures. Parents, rest assured that your campers are in good hands, and they will have an amazing time in Greece. Yianni is super excited to meet everyone and ready to have a fantastic summer! See you soon!
Metropolis
New JerseyHidden Talent
Yianni can ride a unicycle.
Zoe Winder
Summer Staff
Zoe Winder
Summer Staff
Biography
Zoe Winder is traveling all the way from the sunshine state of Colorado! She thrives on adventure and loves soaking up the great outdoors. Whether it's the thrill of a hike or the simple pleasures of nature, Zoe is always buzzing with energy. She can’t wait to connect with each of you and embark on this incredible summer journey together! Let's make memories that'll last a lifetime!