New Academic Advisor: Athena Andriakos
Athena Andriakos comes to the Department of English with more than seven years of advising experience—six at Coconino Community College and NAU in Flagstaff and the last year with the College of Letters and Sciences at ASU. If you haven’t guessed by her exotic name, she is Greek. Her father is from Corfu, Greece, and her mom is Greek as well. Andriakos herself hails from Massachusetts and Michigan, but has spent most of her life in Arizona and loves spending time in the desert. The last time she visited her parents’ homeland, she was too young to appreciate it.
Luckily for English, Andriakos strives be the best advisor she can possibly be.
“I love helping students understand what they need to complete their degree,” says Andriakos, who has a degree in creative writing from Charter Oak State College. “It’s so satisfying when they leave an appointment feeling more informed. And I love seeing them walk on graduation day!”
Andriakos admits that the ability to write well has consistently helped her, from getting hired as an advisor to executing her job in an effective way. “This is what I tell my students, too!”
Andriakos advises about ten students per day and enjoys working in the Department of English. "I majored in Creative Writing, so I feel like I’m back with 'my tribe' and I love the friendly people."
When she's not advising, teaching or reading books about gardening and natural health, Andriakos studies and practices belly dancing. She is interested in its form and history and she loves to dance. She also loves to bake, especially pies. Her specialty is the mixed berry pie with a lattice top.
“I am consistently creating a mess in my kitchen,” says Andriakos, who hopes to someday have a massive garden. While she loves to write, lately her creative energy goes mostly towards dancing, baking, and the healing arts.
Image courtesy Andriakos.