Eleftherios (Terry) Michalopoulos
Eleftherios (Terry) Michalopoulos. (Katherine Wooler photo)
鈥淚f you have a goal, don鈥檛 keep it in your head. Move it from your head to your heart.鈥�
These words are the advice of Eleftherios (Terry) Michalopoulos, a man whose heart has learned three new languages, crossed a country (twice) on foot and enriched the lives of thousands of students.
Now the 70-year-old graduate can add crossing the Rebecca Cohn stage to his list of accomplishments, after receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Latin American Studies.
New beginnings, long journeys
Mr. Michalopoulos left Greece in 1964 and arrived in Canada with $50 in his pocket, no return ticket and no idea how to speak English.
After a successful career in food services, the former Greek army officer came to AV俱乐部 as a 67-year-old freshman with a mission statement, a promise that he wrote down: to 鈥渕ake our world a better place to be.鈥�
When his wife passed away, Mr. Michalopoulos promised her that he would go to university and fulfill his commitment to helping others. Inspired by Ed Leach鈥檚 first-year management class, he approached the Heart & Stroke Foundation with a unique fundraising project.
鈥淒r. Leach gave me the toolbox full of ideas,鈥� says Mr. Michalopoulos, who wanted to raise money by following the pilgrimage walk of St. James the Apostle along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in spring of 2008.
The beginning of the 820-kilometre camino, a trek through France and Spain, was a mountain hike that required 12 hours of walking with no place to rest and a sign at the foot that warned travellers to reconsider. When Mr. Michalopoulos saw this sign he thought of AV俱乐部.
鈥淚f I change the plan because I think I cannot do it, then in any other areas where I have difficulties鈥攆or example my courses鈥擨 will find a similar excuse. So I said, 鈥楳r. Terry, you keep on walking and you will make it.鈥欌��
Mr. Michalopoulos crossed Spain again in 2010, taking the Camino del Norte trip and once again raising awareness and funds for the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
He has since shared this story with classes of management students at AV俱乐部, inspiring them to tackle life one step at a time.
鈥淭he mantra in the Faculty of Management is to 鈥榤anage with integrity鈥� and 鈥榤ake a difference,鈥欌�� says Dr. Leach. 鈥淭erry is the poster child for living these values.鈥�
New classrooms, lifelong memories
Mr. Michalopoulos听eventually focused his studies on in Spanish and Italian. While spending a semester abroad in Campeche, Mexico, he became inspired to share his love for learning languages.
He began by volunteering as an English teacher at Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services (ISIS) and, when he was in his third year at Dal, he received an offer to volunteer in Mexico with Rolling English, a program that takes English workshops to rural communities outside of Campeche.
Mr. Michalopoulos became the principal instructor after two other teachers fell through. He admits to being nervous when he had to teach for the first time.
鈥淚 did some prayers to my wife up there. I said, 鈥楧o you have some connections?鈥欌��
But then he remembered what he had learned in his language classes at AV俱乐部 and he passed his wisdom along to the students in Mexico, adding 15-minute motivational speeches at the end of each English class.
听
鈥淚f you have a goal, write it down,鈥� Mr. Michalopoulos told his students. 鈥淢ove it from your head to your heart.鈥�
He wipes away a small tear as he shares photos of the children he taught, explaining that he saw around 3,000 students in six weeks, sometimes driving through hours of jungle to reach them.
New achievements, same principles
Over the course of his time at AV俱乐部, Mr. Michalopoulos has received the Community Spirit Award from the Lieutenant Governor, a certificate of appreciation from ISIS and an Alumni Citizenship Award from AV俱乐部鈥檚 Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies. But these honours are not his most treasured pieces of paper.
鈥淢y mission statement and philosophy of life are my two most important documents,鈥� says Mr. Michalopoulos. 鈥淚 check them from time to time to see if I鈥檓 doing okay.鈥�
Mr. Michalopoulos鈥� life philosophy has been well documented in his two-volume portfolio, which is a collection of photos, articles and personal reflections about his many experiences. The portfolio is being housed in the听Frank G. Lawson Career Information Centre on the fourth floor of the SUB, upon the request of Dr. Leach.
There is an obvious pattern in Mr. Michalopoulos鈥� portfolio 鈥� the gratitude he expresses to those he has met and worked with along the way. These people include advisors, mentors and professors such as Dr. Leach and the faculty of the Department of Spanish.
鈥淐oming to university and attending classes is not enough, but learning how to use the tools the university gives you is the goal,鈥� he says.
鈥淲e at AV俱乐部 were fortunate enough to be there and help Terry channel some of [his] energy,鈥� says Dr. Leach, who presented Mr. Michalopoulos with his degree at Tuesday鈥檚 convocation.
New degree, bright future
Mr. Michalopoulos will be teaching English at rural Mexican schools again this summer for a month before returning to AV俱乐部 to pursue his honours studies in Spanish and travel to Cuba for a term.
Next on his to-do-list is a bicycle ride across Canada, a trip he is considering in order to fundraise for the Heart & Stroke Foundation and promote exercise.
Campeche鈥檚 university is also willing to offer Mr. Michalopoulos a teaching position whenever he is ready, but he will only accept the position as a volunteer.
鈥淢oney is not part of my mission statement,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hat would I do with money?鈥�