Five ACS Athens students have joined a powerful international movement—one rooted in empathy, innovation, and action. Their community-centered projects are now featured in Inspiring Stories That Make a Difference 2, a 2025 release by Hybrid Global Publishing in collaboration with the Loukoumi Make a Difference Foundation and author Nick Katsoris.
This Amazon #1 New Release showcases the voices of over 125 young changemakers from 30 countries who are transforming their communities—one good deed at a time. Among them are our own students, whose stories reflect ACS Athens’ core values of global citizenship, leadership, and service learning.
Meet Our Published Changemakers:
Mikaela Sarigaki, Class of 2025
Author of “Engineering a Future of Hope”
Mikaela’s story presents a forward-looking vision of how youth can harness STEM education and ethical innovation to drive change. Her essay reflects a passion for engineering not just machines—but hope.
Spyros Polites & Aris Sargkisian, Class of 2025
Co-authors of “The Angel Tree”
Spyros and Aris collaborated on a heartfelt initiative to fulfill holiday wishes for underserved children in Athens.
“Being part of the Angel Tree initiative showed me how much of an impact you can make when you bring people together with purpose,” Spyros shared. “It reminded me that you don’t need a lot of time to plan, only a clear vision, some willpower, and a team that believes in what they’re doing. That’s when real change happens.”
Aris added, “This experience allowed me to see the lifestyle of people outside of my own community.”
Olianna Dimitropoulou, Class of 2024 & Iliana Lyssaios, Class of 2025
Co-authors of “Youth to Youth”
Through ACS Athens’ Youth to Youth program, Olianna and Iliana spent Saturdays volunteering to teach refugee children English, Greek, tech skills, and more. Their story focuses on “K,” a young girl they mentored using custom activities, from early literacy games to dancing to Taylor Swift.
“Volunteering for five years profoundly changed me as a person,” said Olianna. “It pushed me toward the career path I’m pursuing in global studies and has made me realize how important it is to be involved in global citizenship.”
Iliana added, “We helped our Youth to Youth student feel safe, engaged, and excited to learn.”
Their story later became the foundation for their contribution to the Loukoumi Foundation’s Good Deed Council, where they shared their impact with students from around the world in virtual meetings and a six-day summit in New York.
About the Book & Foundation
Inspiring Stories That Make a Difference 2 was curated by the Loukoumi Make a Difference Foundation, an organization dedicated to empowering over 150,000 children globally through joyful acts of service. The foundation, inspired by Nick Katsoris’ beloved Loukoumi children’s book series, continues to promote the idea that kindness is not an obligation, but a joyful practice that transforms lives—both for the giver and the recipient.
During the 2025 Good Deed Summit in New York, students met at the United Nations, participated in service projects such as feeding the homeless, and presented “Never Forget” letters at the 9/11 Memorial and St. Nicholas National Shrine.
A School Community That Makes a Difference
At ACS Athens, we believe education is most meaningful when it equips students not only to succeed—but to serve. The publication of these five student-authors in such a globally respected anthology affirms the incredible work being done by our learners both inside and outside the classroom.
We are proud of Mikaela, Spyros, Aris, Olianna, and Iliana for their leadership, empathy, and unwavering dedication to building a better world.
To learn more about the Loukoumi Foundation and this inspiring publication, visit: https://www.loukoumifoundation.org/books
