Marissa lives in Chicago and is a school social worker at an elementary school. She grew up at Sts. Constantine and Helen in Palos Hills. She received her Master’s degree at St. Louis University and will be on the admin team as the Support & Wellness Coordinator. Marissa can’t get enough of IV and is so passionate about the program that she is back for her fifth summer! Each experience at IV has been unique and eye opening as she has seen IV through many different lenses: as a camper in 2013, a staff member in 2016 and as a member of the admin team in 2019 & 2021. Marissa is known as the “energizer bunny” around camp as she has endless amounts of energy and can be found awake all hours of the night. She enjoys ferry rides, showing campers her favorite monasteries & jewelry shops, and can frequently be found with gyros in hand!

​Andrea’s experience in metropolis camps across the country alongside her passion for education and youth ministry make her a perfect fit to lead our staff members at Ionian Village. She has been a high school math teacher for the past 6 years in Los Angeles, New York, and now her hometown of Kansas City. However, she has never been able to stay away from Orthodox summer camps for long. She first served on staff at her local camp, EOYC, in Kansas followed by Camp St. Paul in the D.A.D, then later at St. Nick’s Ranch in the Metropolis of San Francisco as both a staff member and girls director. She is so excited to return home to Ionian Village after participating as a camper in 2009 and serving as a staff member in 2015 (IVXV)!

Our youth haven’t had the opportunity to go to Ionian Village for two years too long, so Andrea can’t wait to step foot onto our sacred grounds. She looks forward to interviewing our fantastic applicants and building the BEST possible staff for the summer of a lifetime!!!

Rev. Father Gary Kyriacou serves the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America as the Director of Ionian Village. Fr. Gary also serves as the Pastor of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco. He lives in Camarillo, CA and is married to Presvytera Christina and they are blessed with three children. FG has served at the Ascension Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Oakland, California and Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Camarillo, California. He has devoted countless hours leading this ministry where he excels at gathering the youth of the Metropolis and sharing with them importance of our faith and culture. Fr. Gary, Pres. Christie, and family like going to the beach, to Dodger games, and to the movies. They enjoy In-n-Out Cheeseburgers and playing Apples to Apples.

Alexandra's experience with Ionian Village has been as a camper, a staff member, a parent of campers and a parent of a staff member. Additionally, while working for the Office of National Stewardship at the Archdiocese, Alexandra assisted the Ionian Village office. Ascension Cathedral Camp Ravencliff and Metropolis of San Francisco’s St. Nicholas Ranch Camp round out her camp experience as a camper and staff member. Her variety of experience with the Ionian Village program and familiarity of its history will bring a unique perspective to the planning and execution of a phenomenal summer for Ionian Village. Alexandra is a lifelong member of Cathedral of the Ascension in Oakland, California and has served the church in multiple roles at the parish, Metropolis and Archdiocesan level. Alexandra says this is the ultimate #takemebacktoiv and looks forward to #meetmeatthechapel!

Joanna lives in New York City, but is originally from Marietta, GA. She grew up at the Holy Transfiguration Church in Marietta, attending St. Stephens Camp, and winning trophies on the volleyball court at Winter Youth Rally. Joanna attented IV in 2016 #IVXVI, and has been in love ever since! She was supposed to be on staff in 2020, and this year life had other plans for her. She is thrilled to still be able to serve Ionian Village from behind the scenes and holding down the fort in NYC.

Alaina is from Gilroy, California. She has grown up attending St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in San Jose, California. Alaina was a former camper at Ionian Village in 2017. She is looking forward to experiencing Ionian Village again as a  camp counselor and making lots of fun and lasting memories this summer!

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

-Dr. Seuss

Peri lives in Hillsborough, New Jersey and is working full time as a Project Manager at a pharmaceutical advertising agency. Her life long home parish is St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Flemington, New Jersey. Peri has been dreaming about becoming an IV counselor since IVXV, and is even taking a leave from work to fulfill this dream! If anything, this proves that Ionian Village will truly be the #BestSummerofYourLife. After 8 years away from Glyfa, Peri looks forward to immersing herself with her culture on a whole different level. Her favorite memory will always be enjoying the amazing food with friends and dancing all night long through tavernas.

Andrew is originally from Erie, PA and grew up attending Koimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox church, part of the Metropolis of Pittsburgh, where he was an alter boy and Greek dancer. He attended Ionian Village as a camper during the summer of 2016, a Staff Member in 2019, and an IV Next participant in 2021. Andrew is excited to bring his enthusiasm for iconography with the campers and participants and is looking forward to the IV Olympics and meeting everyone this summer!

Demetri is currently entering his senior year at Hellenic College as a seminarian. He bounces between his homes in Sacramento and Boston. When he’s not at the chant stand or in the altar, he prefers to spend his time hanging with friends, playing basketball, and Greek dancing. Demetri can’t wait for this summer and hopes give every camper the best summer of their life!

When praying becomes a habit, miracles become your lifestyle

Meet Anthea Fraser! Born and raised in Portland, Oregon; she grew up a part of the Holy Trinity parish. Over the years, Anthea has had a blast during the summers participating in Holy Trinity's church camps, St. Nicholas Ranch, Portland’s Kids with Cancer camp, as well as Ionian Village! She specializes in spike ball, soaking in the sun, and best of all, encouraging early morning energy! Anthea could not be more excited to meet all the campers and be able to share her love for our faith and camp fellowship at Ionian Village this summer.

This is Luke Geist! He’s from Holy Trinity Cathedral in Portland, Oregon but currently lives in Eugene. He’s grown up going to Camp Angelos, the annual parish church camp, and has also done Vacation Bible School, Greek Village, Saint Nick’s, and IV Next! Luke already has his basketball shoes packed and is ready to take over the courts!

For dust you are, and to dust you will return.

-Genesis 3:19

Flying in from San Jose, CA, Panayiota Good will be making her Ionian Village debut this summer as YOUR camp videographer! While it may be her first summer at IV, Panayiota is a summer camp veteran. She has spent over 10 summers at St. Nicholas Ranch, the Metropolis of San Francisco’s summer camp. Growing up, Panayiota stayed close to her church community by leading GOYA, attending camp, building homes with Project Mexico and traveling to FDF/YAL Conferences to Greek dance beside her favorite parea. Panayiota will work behind the scenes to capture every aspect of the best summer of your life!! She is most excited about being able to document this experience through her lens, and she can’t wait to create show-stopping content for you to look back on forever. So, if you see Panayiota with her camera, don’t be shy!! Say hi!

She thought she could, and so she did.

-Unknown

Matthew Hoffman is from Los Angeles, California. Matthew grew up in Saint Nicholas Church in Northridge, California. In the summer, he often attends Saint Nicholas Ranch, as well as our very own Ionian Village in 2016! Ever since then, he has been waiting to come back and become a counselor. In his free time, he enjoys taking photos, eating good food, and trying to learn how to pogo stick.  Matthew says that he looks most forward to Kyria Sophia's cooking and the long eventful bus trips all throughout Greece! This year, he will bring the ENERGY that we all need after these last few crazy years.

If you can't be kind, at least be vague.

-Judith Martin

Isabel currently lives in Chicago but is originally from Cleveland, Ohio where she attended Sts. Constantine and Helen. She graduated from Ohio State (go bucks!) with a degree in Economics. She is passionate about travelling, pepperoni pizza, Kitchen Nightmares, anything to do with Cleveland, and most importantly, McDonalds Diet Coke. Isabel loved her time at IV Next in 2019 and is so excited to help campers have the best summer of their lives

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.

-Dolly Parton

Stephen Kalina is from Edina, Minnesota and has been a parishioner of St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis for the past 18 years. Stephen has been a camper and counselor at his home parish’s local summer camp for many years, as well as at Metropolis camps around the country. Stephen is a graduate of Purdue University and an avid baseball fan - go Giants! He finds relaxation in music and running and is in the process of learning Byzantine chant and guitar. Stephen just finished his second year as a seminarian at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and will be attending medical school in Washington DC starting August 2023, upon completion of his Master of Divinity degree.

Do not fight to expel the darkness from the chamber of your soul. Instead open a tiny aperture for light to enter and the darkness will disappear

-St. Porphyrios

An Ionian Village alum of 2018, Peter Kapourales is excited to return to the program, this time serving as a counselor. Peter, who studies music education and classical guitar at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, has spent 4 years working with students in various settings, from kindergarteners all the way to learners as old as 75! He is ready to utilize his skills in servitude of Ionian Village in order to provide a welcoming environment for the campers that inspires them to explore their faith, all while having the best Summer of their lives!

Along with being an IV alum, Peter attended the Crossroad Summer Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross in 2019, and volunteered as a staff member for the Metropolis of Detroit Summer Camp for 2 weeks in 2021. He grew up In Cincinnati, Ohio, and has been attending the Holy Trinity Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church his entire life.

Katerina lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, and is a member of the St. Nicholas Parish. Katerina grew up attending St. Stephens Summer Camp and Ionian Village in 2015. She continued her involvement in youth programs by being a camp counselor at St. Stephens, Camp St. Paul, and now Ionian Village! She graduated from UNC Wilmington and is currently an eighth grade middle school teacher. At camp, you will discover her love for Taylor Swift, sea otters, McDonald’s sprites, Iron Man and Santa. One of Katerina's favorite saints is St. Nicholas, and she is looking forward to spreading that Christmas cheer all year!

Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.

-Micheal Scott, Regional manager

Jack Koulos was born and raised in Long Beach, CA. As a member of his local parish, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jack has always found ways to stay involved with his community, from GOYA to YAL. Jack graduated from the University of Michigan in 2020 with degrees in Biology and Modern Greek Studies, but he decided to pursue a career in the video games industry. He currently works as a talent agent, representing the exciting, new age of Twitch, YouTube, and social media content creators! Also, Jack is very close with his four siblings and parents whom he considers his biggest supporters, and he is excited to share some of that support, love, and παρέα with the 2022 campers!

Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.

-Winston

My name is Jake Kyriacou and I am from Southern California. I am currently studying kinesiology at Cal State San Marcos. Growing up, I was a camper at St. Sophia camp and now I continue to attend, but as a counselor. I love the outdoors and pretty much every sport. Currently, I play volleyball for my college team as a setter. I have been very lucky to be able to attend IV twice as a camper, which is why I am so excited to attend this summer as a staff member. Visiting the monasteries and churches and learning their history is one of my favorite parts about IV. FDF and GOYA basketball are a couple of ways I am able to stay involved in the church.

Juliana is a member of Saint Mark Church in Boca Raton, Florida. She loves all things camp. From being a camper and later staff at the Metropolis of Atlanta St. Stephen’s program, to designing and leading a camp curriculum at the Home of Hope Orphanage in Tirana, Albania, to participating in Project Mexico and an IOCC Homebuild…10 months without camp is 10 months too long. She CANNOT WAIT to greet everyone with a smiling face and an overload of enthusiasm this summer!

No matter where life takes me, find me with a smile.

-Mac Miller

Legally she’s Ekaterini but don’t worry it’s not illegal to call her Katina. Born and raised in Palm Harbor, FL, Katina currently attends Florida State University where she is obtaining a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. She grew up going to St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tarpon Springs where her involvement in different youth ministries held within the Metropolis of Atlanta and the Archdiocese began to expand. After attending St. Stephens camp, Crossroad, and Ionian Village, Katina is so excited to return to the camp environment. She's confident that campers will be laughing, frappes will be glyko, kefi meters will be up, and faiths will grow. Katina can't wait to meet you all and have the best summer ever!

The greatest mistake a man can make is to be afraid of making one.

-Elbert Hubbard

Zachary Loutsion was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Zach is currently a middle school teacher and attends church at All Saints Canonsburg. The past five summers he has served his time at Camp Nazareth and St. Stephen’s as a camp counselor and activities coordinator. In 2015 Zach attended Ionian Village as a camper and looks forward to giving his time and talents this summer to Ionian Village.

It’s not about what you’re capable of, it’s about what you’re willing to do.

-Mike Tomlin (Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers)

Demi is from Greenlawn, NY and her home parish is St. Paraskevi in Greenlawn. She is currently a junior at the University of Florida studying Applied Physiology and Kinesiology (GO GATORS!!). When at school, Demi attends St. Elizabeth in Gainesville. Last summer, Demi was a staff member at Camp Saint Paul, the Direct Archdiocesan District camp, in Litchfield, CT. In summer 2018, she was a camper at Ionian Village. Demi is most excited for meeting the campers and staff, the beautiful trips and growing her connection with her faith. 

The only time I set the bar low is for limbo

-Micheal Scott

Julia Pappas from Ascension Cathderal in Oakland, California. She has loved camp since day one after attending a variety of camps and being on staff at her parishes very own camp ravencliff! When not day dreaming about this soon to be epic summer you can find Julia playing goalie for her college water polo team (go Vikings!!!) or at Soul Cycle for Taylor swift themed classes. Life is about balance so this summer you’ll find Julia taking down some pastitsio or teaching you have to make the best frappe in all of the Peloponnese! Ever since she left IV as a camper she knew she wanted to go back and is so excited to share her love of the Orthodox faith and all things Greek with you this summer.

In all that you do, be good

-Father Tom Paris

Niko Paris is from Portland, Oregon, and attends Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. He always looked forward to summer camp and enjoyed his time at St. Mary's Camp in Amery, WI, and Camp Angelos on the Sandy River outside of Portland. He first experienced Ionian Village in 2016 as a camper; he can't wait to be back in beautiful Greece and back on the grounds of IV. He is super excited to bring his great love for camp and hardworking attitude to help make this summer an amazing program for all attending.

You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. Y’know why? It’s got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish

-Ted Lasso

Jimmy was born and raised in East Norwich, New York, and attends the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Paul. He attends Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, majoring in songwriting and piano performance. Jimmy was lucky enough to attend IV Next in 2019 and he fell in love with Greece, its people and culture. He looks forward to being on staff this year and will bring lots of positive energy and inclusiveness so that all campers can have a great summer!

When words fail, music speaks.

-Hans Christian Andersen

Theo Petsalis is from Sacramento, CA and is a member of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Sacramento. He is currently attending Sacramento State University where he is majoring in Construction Management. When he is not on a job-site, he can be found hanging with friends, hiking, traveling or most likely playing golf. It's rare to see Theo without a smile on his face - especially when he has a frappé in his hand. His love for Ionian Village began last summer after attending IV Next and he can't wait to share in Christ's love with the campers this summer as a counselor! 

Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away

-Maya Angelou

Introducing Alex Pirsos, your go to friendship bracelet making fanatic for the summer. Alex studied Marketing at Elon University and is currently wrapping up her Master’s of Science in Analytics at NC State University. Growing up in Upper Saddle River, NJ, Alex attended the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Wyckoff, and was thrilled to attend IV as a camper in 2015. In addition to Greece, Alex has traveled to 20 other countries, and she is most excited to revisit Zakynthos. When Alex isn’t caught daydreaming about never ending tzatziki under the Grecian sun, she can be found bopping her head to EDM beat drops at cycle classes, overanalyzing the inner workings of the Bachelor franchise, or pretending to be a data science influencer on LinkedIn. If you’re looking for Alex, try to spot the counselor in the “I’m not yelling, I’m just Greek” shirt who is dancing around the trap eating feta.

Never follow anyone else's path. Unless you're in the woods and you're lost and you see a path. Then by all means follow that path.

-Ellen DeGeneres

Max is so excited for this summer! Born in Los Angeles and raised in Paris, France, Max first fell in love with camp and came to a deeper love for God after going to IV as a camper. He went on to get his bachelors at Duke University, a masters in theology from Holy Cross, and a masters in educational neuroscience from Harvard. Max loves being a piano accompanist to people who wholeheartedly belt Disney songs, playing basketball, and serving as camp staff for St. Sophia, St. Nicholas Ranch, and All-Saints camps. Max’s home parish is St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church in Redondo Beach and he is most excited about meeting you all, drawing closer to God together, and making this the best summer of our lives!

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

-St. John the Theologian

Sophia was raised in Danvers, MA, a small town where they bleed blue and white. She attends Saint Vasilios Church in Peabody and is a rising senior at Saint Joseph's College of Maine, majoring in Nursing! Her ultimate dream is to save lives during the day and be an SNL cast member by night. Going to school in Maine has allowed Sophia to reignite her love for country music and the great wonders of Walmart. Sophia has been attending the Metropolis of Boston camp for the past 10 years (6 as a camper & 4 on staff) and spent a week at Camp Saint Paul last summer! When she’s not studying, Sophia loves hanging out with family and friends, long drives, eating chocolate, making quesadillas, quoting movie lines, and so much more! So if you're looking to sing and dance your heart out or need someone to lean on, Sophia is here for you! She attended IV as a camper in 2017 and is ecstatic to experience it in a whole new light...through the eyes of her campers!

Well, I promise the answer will always be ‘yes’, unless ‘no’ is required

” - Moto Moto (Madagascar 2)

Phia Skedros grew up in Bountiful, Utah, and attends the Salt Lake City, Holy Trinity/Prophet Elias parish. She loves everything outdoors, all the puppers, and would do anything for a meat pie. She attended IV as a camper in 2011. She’s excited to meet everyone and impress with her aptitude for non-water-based sports and infectiously fun personality. She’ll be easy to spot because she’ll have a frappe in one hand and spanakopita in the other.

Today me will live in the moment unless it's unpleasant in which case me will eat a cookie

-Cookie Monster

Rebecca Skedros is from Sudbury, Massachusetts, where she attends St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Weston and will be graduating from Loyola University Chicago this May. Rebecca cannot wait to get back to IV this summer which has had a special place in her heart since she was a camper in 2016. Rebecca is ready to bring an insane amount of kefi to IV with her silly dance moves and staying fueled with endless frappes. Besides having Kyria Sophia's delicious meals, Rebecca is most excited to connect with campers as they embark on their journey to experience their orthodox faith and Greek culture in the best way possible!

Life’s a climb but the view is great

-Hannah Montana

Hello my name is What? my name is Who? my name is Nininini niko.  Grew up in small town in panhandle of Florida and moved to the city of Austin, TX for school only to be constantly disappointed by the Longhorns year in and year out (like seriously how do they keep getting ranked in the top 10 preseason only to go 6-6 EVERY SINGLE YEAR!!!)  Petroleum Engineer by day, world traveler by night.

Sacrifice for what you want or what you want will be what you sacrifice

Grace Vallante is a proud native of Knoxville, Tennessee where she attends St. George Greek Orthodox Church and is a senior majoring in Kinesiology at the University of Tennessee. In her free time, you can find Grace cheering on any Tennessee sports team, especially Tennessee basketball. She was a camper and a counselor at St. Stephen's Summer Camp in the Metropolis of Atlanta and was camper at Ionian Village in 2018. This summer, you will find Grace on any dance floor with so much Kefi and probably wearing her beloved Tennessee Orange. Grace is so excited to head back to Glyfa Beach to meet all of the wonderful staff and campers, creating fun flextivities, and experiencing a new spiritual journey.

You'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try.

-Dolly Parton

Kayla is beyond excited to be returning home to Ionian Village this year! IV has been running through Kayla’s veins since 2013 when she first attended IV as a camper. Since then, Kayla has attended Spiritual Odyssey (now IV Next) in 2017, served as a staff member in 2018, and has led numerous IV-on-the-Go retreats in the NY area. Kayla was born and raised in Staten Island, New York, and is an active member of Holy Trinity St. Nicholas! Kayla is a New York State licensed and board-certified bilingual speech-language pathologist and works full-time servicing students grades K-8. In her free time, Kayla enjoys playing tavli and baking koulourakia, and she has even mastered the art of making the perfect frappe! Kayla has packed her silly pants, dropped her cool card, and is excited to mentor and guide her campers throughout their spiritual journeys, and be part of the team that gives them the best summer of their lives!! 

Venture outside your comfort zone. The rewards are worth it.

-Rapunzel, Tangled

Kalli Vellis is from Burlingame, California and belongs to the Annunciation Cathedral in San Francisco. In 2016 Kalli attended IV as a camper. It was the best summer of her life and is excited to come back now as a counselor. Kalli brings enthusiasm, passion, and lightheartedness to make IV a great experience for campers just like her counselors did.

There are two kinds of people - Greeks, and everyone else who wish they was Greek

-Gus Portokalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

Callista is from Boulder, Colorado and grew up at the Sts. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church. She is currently attending the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Rochester, NY and the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Atlanta, GA (ask her at camp how she attends two parishes in different states!). Fun fact, Callista is a professional contemporary ballet dancer and is starting medical school at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in August! Callista attended IV as a camper in 2016, came back for more fun in 2021 for IV Next, and is so excited to return again as a staff member this summer. One thing that Callista is looking forward to most is helping her campers show support and love for one another during nightly devotionals and helping make her cabin a little family. Callista is beyond excited to show all the campers the magic and blessings of Ionian Village.

...people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but they will never forget the way you made them feel.

-Maya Angelou