Students, George Pelecanos, and Greek Independence Bicentennial to be featured at 2021 Virtual Awards Gala on June 19
Chicago, IL –The PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation announced that it will once again award 40 scholarships totaling $250,000 to a slate of impressive Greek American college students with extraordinary academic records and achievements. This will be the second year that the PanHellenic will hold its awards gala and alumni weekend events virtually, following the success of last year’s, live steamed Virtual Awards Gala (https://www.panhellenicsf.org). To date, the 2020 Virtual Awards Gala, which was one of the earliest virtual events to be showcased by a Greek American organization, resulted in over 24,000 views and was featured on Antenna TV.
The 2021 Virtual Awards Gala will be live-streamed on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at 8:30 pm EST/7:30 pm CST/5:30 pm PST with a whole new program. The 2021 Virtual Awards Gala will honor a new class of brilliant scholars and feature passionate alumni, donors, and special guests. New in 2021 will be the awarding of the PanHellenic’s prestigious Paradigm Award to award-winning novelist and TV/film writer and producer George Pelecanos and an inspiring tribute to the 200th Anniversary of Greek Independence. Acclaimed Greek music ensemble Apollonia from Maryland will perform, and Antenna TV, the top Greek broadcasting network globally, will once again partner with the Foundation to bring this event to a larger, global audience. The event will be free to the world and the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation invites everyone to register for this event at the Foundation’s website, panhellenicsf.org. 
Since March 2020, COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for many not-for-profit charitable organizations. “The Board of Directors decided to once again celebrate the achievements of our exemplary students, but to do so in the safest and most responsible interactive way possible,” said Robert A. Buhler, Chairman of the Board. “We are excited to once again open up our celebration to the entire world and showcase the incredible things our young people are doing. And our goal is to make the virtual experience even better than last year.”
Formed in 2002, the Foundation has provided over $3.75 million to over 600 students and has held an annual gala in Chicago in June to celebrate and honor those awarded the scholarships during that year. The Foundation awards $250,000 to 40 students, 20 scholarships are granted based on need and merit and 20 scholarships are based on merit alone. To date, the PanHellenic has awarded over $3.75 million to over 600 undergraduate students from across the United States. The students are from all fields of study, and PanHellenic Alumni are leaders and professionals in virtually every profession.
Creating opportunities for networking, mentorships, and internships are additional ways the Foundation lives up to its Beyond a Scholarship tagline. With the June Gala each year, the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation hosts an Alumni Weekend of events. The weekend is student-centered and designed for networking with Board members, special guests and mentors that are leaders from a variety of professions, as well as alumni and fellow scholarship recipients. The Alumni Weekend includes social events and a mentoring luncheon, which also invites young professionals from other Hellenic-based organizations.
Scholar Selection and the Academic Committee
The PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation application process is rigorous and very competitive. The Foundation receives hundreds of applications each year. A national Academic Committee, independent of Board and staff affiliation, with extremely prominent credentials volunteers to review the applications and select the 40 student scholarship recipients via a thorough review process. The Committee is comprised of academics from coast to coast, serving institutions that include UCLA, Harvard, and Stevens Institute of Technology.
All qualified applicants must possess a cumulative 3.5 or above GPA, submit letters of recommendation and character reference, as well as financial documents if applying for a needs-based scholarship. Other factors part of the carefully developed selection rubric includes Hellenic engagement, extracurricular activities, and volunteerism.
About the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation
Founded in 2002, The PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation is the largest, national nonprofit scholarship-granting organization that recognizes and honors exceptional undergraduate students of Hellenic descent–supporting their efforts with significant monetary awards based on academic merit and financial need. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $3.75 million to over 600 Greek American students, thus furthering the vision to build a better America through scholarship and Hellenism. The PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation was founded by the late Chris P. Tomaras, a successful philanthropist, innovator, entrepreneur, and founder of Kronos Foods. Chris came from Greece to America on a student Visa and devoted the last two decades of his life establishing and growing the Foundation.
The Foundation boasts a national Board of Directors, an Advisory Board, and a successful Alumni Board with members located Coast to Coast. Each board includes talented, dynamic individuals from a variety of professional backgrounds who strongly believe in promoting the mission of the Foundation–to promote education by providing scholarships and programs to Greek American students who, guided by the values of their Hellenic upbringing, have the potential to become life-long significant achievers and contribute meaningfully to society.
