by Alexandra Gregoriou, Greg Gregoriou and Michaela Gregoriou

by Alexandra Gregoriou, Greg Gregoriou and Michaela Gregoriou, Academy Students

Growing up as triplets, we have experienced every important milestone together. From choosing our backpacks for the first day of school, to receiving our high school diplomas on graduation day, all of these important moments combine into a kaleidoscope of beautiful memories. When people ask us, “What is it like being a triplet?” it is often difficult to articulate a response. After all, though we immensely appreciate each other’s presence in our lives, being a triplet is our norm. To us, it is expected that one of our family members is one room over, experiencing similar, if not identical, academic hardships as we are. To us, the skill of dividing food in threes has been mastered. To us, printing out three copies of the same form goes unquestioned. Much of our lives has been defined by a strong sense of unity and deep connection, as we were always raised to put family first.

With that being said, our upbringing in an environment as engaging and open minded as ACS Athens has helped foster our individuality and cement our uniqueness. The school and its faculty has always made an effort to lift us up as individuals, rather than a unit. In elementary and middle school, we would always be placed in separate classes so as to build our own set of friendships and be able to overcome academic difficulties separately. ACS Athens was able to cater to each of our needs, and this willingness to accommodate also defined our high school experience. For instance, Greg was able to combine his interests in sports and community service by volunteering to teach young children tennis. Michaela was able to explore her affinity for public speaking and discussion by participating in the school’s debate club. Alexandra was given the opportunity to exhibit her leadership skills while also giving back to the community in clubs like Koinwnos. In this way, being brought up in an international school allowed us to individually flourish, while simultaneously instilling in us a foundation of similar values and beliefs. Though we were given the same education, the same tools to engage with the world, we were given the freedom to choose how we wanted to use these tools and apply our education. Thus, we were able to build well-rounded personalities with varied interests.

The mission statement or “vision” of ACS Athens is to raise responsible global citizens. Ultimately, our experience, as we have evolved from children to young adults, proves that there is no single face or characteristic assigned to being a global citizen. Though there are certain values that are shared amongst global citizens, values like respect and open mindedness, the ways in which these values are expressed can appear in a multitude of ways. While Michaela’s love for music allows her to understand the universality of art, Alexandra and Greg’s active sense of empathy enhances their understanding of disadvantaged people around the world. These instincts, which have been established and facilitated during our time in ACS Athens, aid us in being internationally mindful citizens. As we graduate into a new chapter in our lives, we are not only grateful for the wonderful memories we have created in our school, but also for the invaluable lessons we have learned and will cherish for the rest of our lives.

The Gregoriou triplets, Michaela, Greg and Alexandra.