Stavroula has just graduated from high school after a demanding year of study and exams. She lives with her family in Moudros, on the island of Lemnos, which she loves deeply. "I adore being here on the island and being close to the sea and nature, and overall, the freedom it offers me."
Stavroula shows a particular interest in literature and music, believing they are beautiful ways to express oneself. Over the last few years, she has also grown closer to the sciences through her school activities. "Through school and the activities I participated in, I might be a bit in love with sciences as well. They hold a significant place in my life."
Although school wasn't always her favorite process, she realized its value as she grew up. "As I am finishing school now, I came to the conclusion that it's so much more than just the homework and tasks we had to do during our studies." She explains that through school, she socialized, made friends, and engaged in various activities. "I feel particularly lucky because I believe my school was more open-minded than many others in the country. This brought us into contact with people who have lived a long time on this Earth and wanted to help us as we enter the adult world."
As part of The Tipping Point program, Stavroula participated for the first time when she entered high school. "It made a huge impression on me! Everyone always says, 'Since there's no professional orientation, students need to come into contact with people who work in the field that interests them.' But when I heard about the program, it seemed very original and innovative, the fact that someone said, 'Yes, we will do this, we will implement it,' and the implementation itself was indeed very smooth." She goes on to talk about her first impressions in more detail. “I remember in the first year, we met astrophysicists, pharmacists, actors, storytellers – everything. I remember all of us in the computer lab, the screen and the projector at the ready, and suddenly, we came into contact with someone who had experiences to share with us. That really impressed me, and I was always very satisfied coming out of the sessions because it seemed like those people were very happy to do this for us. When the time was up, it always felt like they wanted to do even more, and I think that feeling was mutual on our part as well.”
As Stavroula recounts her experience partaking in The Tipping Point sessions, she talks about the impact she observed on her school community. “One thing I really liked about The Tipping Point was that it achieved something that many programs haven't. It is a fact that every class has those a bit more irritable, limited attention, easily distracted students. Well, there were sessions where you could have heard a pin drop because even they were actually fully focused. It was a very creative experience, and I also liked that, as we continued in high school, growing up, maturing, and making more decisions about our future, we got to interact with more specialized speakers.” She adds, “Of course, as we continued in the second and third year of high school, it seemed that everyone approached the program much more seriously (...) the kids realized the great importance of that half-hour.”
Stavroula reflects on the mentors: 'They gave us all their attention and encouraged us. Especially in the first sessions, we were a bit reserved, but they would ask, "Any other questions, kids?" and they always greeted us, and we shared a lot. We made jokes sometimes to break the ice.' She adds, 'I wanna say a big thank you because they gave us their time and undivided attention, and it seemed like, in this context, we somehow found a place in this person's mind, and they thought about us and wanted to help a child who might feel lost.'
Speaking about her personal experience on the program, she shares, “My favorite question that I kept asking all the time was, ‘What is a typical day like in this profession?’' She believes that by talking to people who have gone through these paths, one can get an idea of where choosing that profession might lead them, which she found very significant. 'It helped me a lot, really.'
She particularly highlighted two sessions. The first was with a mentor who was a chemist by profession. Stavroula was impressed by her actions, as she saw a versatile and dynamic person in her. The mentor had given lectures at major universities worldwide and was a scientific journal editor. “She was a chemist who had studied at the University of Patras, but she had done everything in her life. Having doubts about what I could achieve through the national exams, she gave me hope and reassurance!” The second session that stood out was with a female mentor in a leadership position, who the program's responsible teacher had chosen to showcase women's ability to take on positions of responsibility. “I think what surprised us the most when speaking with her was that she had achieved everything. She showed us that we, as we grow up to become women, can truly do anything.” Stavroula believes that “having such examples, especially within the school context, greatly contributes to the psychology and self-confidence of students”.
Regarding her goals and priorities in her professional life, she shares, 'I want to go to university and educate myself. In ten years from now, I don't want to work somewhere and make a lot of money and just sit around. I want to be with people whom I respect and who respect me, in a healthy work environment, to manage to be creative in my work. (...) Yes, that's what I want to become, someone who is content with herself but is never really satisfied because they always want to evolve."
