Eirini Psyrra

What are three enduring values Pierce has taught you?

Non ministrari sed ministrare – or else: what matters is the impact we make on those around us. If you can dream it, you can do it. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.

Describe Pierce in three words.

Purpose-driven; people-focused; forward-looking.

Which is your fondest memory from your time at Pierce?

The carefree time on the school bus, planning our future paths. Little did we know!

What do you miss most from your days at Pierce?

Being empowered, humbled and challenged to be the best version of myself.

If you could go back in time, is there anything that you would do differently?

I would have greater faith that everything is possible.

Where was your favorite spot on campus?

The theater stage – where we performed the “Medea,” under the direction of Mr. Tsatalis, and where I had the honor of giving one of the two commencement speeches for the class of 1999.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Even though many teachers left their mark on my heart and mind, I would single out the late Professor Mpaloumis for encouraging me to write and ultimately become the editor-in-chief for the school magazine. Having just published my first novel this past June, I am grateful that he saw that “light” in me before I ever did.

After graduation, have you maintained a relationship with your school and classmates?

With few exceptions, my closest friends are high-school classmates. It’s the people with whom we share unconditional love – for who we are and not what we have accomplished.

Looking back, how did your time at Pierce help you become the person you are today?

My time at Pierce College taught me that we must fight for what we believe in and that there is always something greater than oneself. Only a few days after Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing, her famous quote – that there is an obligation to “do something outside yourself…something to repair tears in your community” – sums up perfectly what I strive to live up to, in my small way.

What advice would you give a new Pierce student?

Work hard, be kind, and believe you can “make a dent in the universe,” as Steve Jobs said.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

From people that take gambles on others and make their own rules.

What is your motto in life?

That life is inherently and relentlessly fair; in retrospect, it all makes sense – just wait it out!