In December 2021, the 17-years-old high school student Konstantinos Maliaris was filling out applications to be admitted to an American university, hoping to receive an admission. But what he may not have imagined then was that he would not only be admitted to Harvard but would also be given a full scholarship!
Contrary to many people's beliefs, the first student of Nafpaktos High School to one of the leading American universities did not go through the tuition desks or special preparatory seminars, but through his pc screen. After reading alone at home, accompanied by the "treasury" of knowledge of the world wide web and his books, managed to achieve what for many seems impossible.
"I gave all my energy and all my time to it. It was a risk I had calculated and in the end it was worth it ", says the young student to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency (APE-MPE), explaining that while the rest of his classmates were preparing for the national exams, he" looked "to the other side of the Atlantic.
"If I did not believe even a little that I would succeed, I would not go ahead. I had a hope", explains the 17-years-old boy, who is a member of the national Robotics team" FIRST Global Challenge Team Greece ", which started its course in May 2018 with the coordination of the non-profit - Educational Organization Eduact - Action for Education and was distinguished at the FIRST Global Challenge 2021 International Olympiad, winning three medals among 169 countries.
"I did not feel the need to go to a tutoring center. I did very well studying at home", underlines the 17-years-old young man, who does not hide his joy for the opportunity given to him, through the scholarship for studies at Harvard, to explore objects that he had not even imagined, as he emphasizes.
Both he and his parents, without whose support he would not have succeeded, as he characteristically says, feel justified by the "ticket" of the full scholarship to Harvard. "My parents were happy because they had seen how much effort I had made, and in fact from an environment that did not favor this development," he points out to APE-MPE, adding that at school, his teachers and classmates are all part of his titanic effort.
In a few months, Konstantinos Maliaris will pack his bags to cross the Atlantic on his second trip abroad. The first time he had crossed the border was to visit CERN, the "Mecca of Science", as he characteristically says, as a member of a group of 24 students from all over Greece (among 200 who applied).
In addition to the great distinction in the International Olympiad FIRST Global Challenge 2021, Konstantinos Maliaris has in his biography of his short life so far, participations and distinctions in national competitions and Olympiads in Robotics, Astronomy - and more. Among other things, in the 1st high school he managed to qualify and represent Greece in the Astronomy Olympiad that took place from a distance and a year later he secured the 4th place in Greece and a place in the national team of Astronomy and Astrophysics, through which, representing Greece, he claimed the bronze metal. In fact, on the occasion of these distinctions, he does not fail to refer to the man who gave him the impetus to study Astrophysics, Professor Argyris Drivas, who offered free courses, which he attended with passion.
Growing up in Nafpaktos, a provincial town with a long history but not as many stimuli as a child with a love of science and technology would want or need, the young student began exploring the internet at an early age to learn more about he is interested.
"In the first year of high school I started learning programming at home on my own. The internet had all the information it needed. All resources were available for free. I wanted to be more involved in computer science than at school. "Then I developed some applications (games) that I then published in the Playstore, while later I was involved in the development of these applications as a learning experience - always alone, without the help of a tutorial, only with the help of books and the Internet," he explains.
The "germ" of robotics he wanted to pass on to other classmates, but the attempt to build a robotics team at school, with the help of a teacher, failed. "We found that there was neither the same mood from the other kids due to the pressure of the lessons nor the financial capital, so I closed myself again and got involved with Arduino and programming. I also ordered a 3D printer and got involved with various projects," he notes, pointing out that in robotics he continued when he was given the opportunity to join the national team, something unprecedented for him since until then he had not managed to participate in a championship or Olympics in robotics.
During his course so far he has also been involved for some time in theoretical informatics, with algorithms and data structures, and participated in the national computer competition, where he managed to reach twice the national training camp (in 1st and 2nd High School classes) , while with a team he had made with two of his girl-classmates they had participated in the national competition of 3D design and printing and had won the third prize of a face shield.
Source:
Athenian-Macedonian News Agency (APE-MPE), https://www.amna.gr/mobile/articleen/638986/Apo-ti-Naupakto-sto-Charbarnt--me-pliris-upotrofia--diabazontas-monos-sto-spiti