Our Staff

Nadia Yokarini-Kotsonis
Principal

Hi my name is Nadia Yokarini-Kotsonis and I was born and raised in Greece. I was born in Drama but moved to Athens when I was 10 years old. I lived and studied there until I graduated College. A few years after I graduated college I moved to the United States in 2005. I graduated from National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece with concentration in: Social Theology, Philosophy and Psychology. I’m proficient in English with a certificate from the University of Michigan. I was teaching in a private institution for 4 years in Greece the modern Greek language for adults and children.

I started teaching in the Greek Language School of Columbus in 2012 modern Greek covering the necessary basics for comprehending the verbal, oral, and written Greek language using the curriculum of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of USA. After 4 years of teaching I transitioned to the Academic Principal position for our Greek Language School.

My mission is for the children and adults that join our school to learn the language, our culture and heritage in a fun way so they can pass it on in generations ahead.

Athena Stamos
Teacher

I’m Athena Stamos. I am from St. Louis, Missouri and go to college here in Columbus at Ohio State. I will be a senior studying mathematics with a minor in Modern Greek. Growing up in St. Louis, I attended Greek School every week up until my junior year in high school. At the end of my Greek School experience in St. Louis, I took the Modern Greek Regents Exam and received the Three Hierarchs Award. When I came to OSU, I took Greek language classes. My freshman year, I was a private tutor to a young boy teaching the Greek language. Sophomore year, I taught kindergarteners virtually with the Greek School in St. Louis. This past academic year, I was a substitute teacher here at Annunciation. I am so excited to teach full time this fall!

Linda Tiano
Teacher

Working at the Greek School this year was a wonderful experience! I greatly enjoyed getting to know their kids and helping them advance their Greek language. They already knew a few things so I tried to find ways to make learning more fun and engaging, through little games or drawings, and I think it worked! I am very excited to come back and teach next year as well!

My Greek education is quite straight forward, I was born and raised in Athens, Greece and just recently moved to Columbus last August for Ohio State University. I finished Greek Elementary School and then went to an American School for 6 years, in which I took both English and Greek classes. I’ve lived my entire life in Greece up until now, learning and speaking the beautiful language everyday.