Washington, DC, October 11, 2024 — The Washington OXI Day Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Philotimo Scholarship Competition. Similar to previous years, the Foundation received an impressive volume of competitive submissions from Greek-American students across the nation.
To participate in the competition, students were asked to watch the Foundation’s “Greek Secret” video which focuses on one of the most important Greek values – namely, philotimo and respond to one of the following questions:
The essay that won first place this year was submitted by John Robert Deoudes, a high school junior in Bethesda, MD. For his winning essay, Deoudes will receive a $4,000 scholarship to pursue his academic goals. In addition, he will attend the Foundation’s 14th Annual OXI Courage Awards on October 30th, where Leonidas Karmanos will present the scholarship to John Deoudes during the program.
Deoudes’ exceptional essay specifically focused on how philotimo can guide you to serve others regardless of the hardship.
“St. John’s motto, “enter to learn, leave to serve,” encapsulates the spirit of service instilled in students from day one. My journey of service began when I donated bone marrow, and over the past two years, I have continued to learn and grow. The lessons I’ve gained from the Cadet Corps, from leadership skills to deeper insights into my faith, have reinforced the importance of selfless action, a key aspect of philotimo.
As I’ve continued to grow, I’ve learned more about philotimo and its significance in Greek culture. It is not just a personal value, but one deeply embedded in the Greek community’s sense of duty and honor. This guiding principle connects my personal experiences with the values I’ve learned at St. John’s and will continue to shape my actions in the future. For me, philotimo is about always choosing the right path, even when it’s the hardest, and serving others with unwavering integrity and love.”
The two second place winners for the Philotimo Scholarship Award are two high school seniors, Donna Nixon from Darnestown, MD and Elias Lambrinos from Freehold, NJ who will each receive a $2,000 scholarship.
Finally, the two third place winners who will receive a scholarship award of $1,000 are Anthony Chrisopoulos a high school sophomore from Mission Viejo, CA, and Noel Demetrio a high school senior in from Lake Forest, IL.
Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you to all the students who took part in the 2024 Philotimo Scholarship Competition. The Foundation greatly enjoyed reading all of the thoughtful essays about Philotimo.