Stavroula Michalopoulos

Stavroula Michalopoulos has invariably been passionate and immersed in the arts, history and culture from a young age. She grew up in Toronto, Canada where cultural diversity defines the city and she has been closely connected to various cultures as a result. This interest continued in her academic career, holding a Masters of Arts degree in Italian Studies and an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in French, Italian and English language and literature studies from the University of Toronto.

Over the course of her academic studies, Stavroula worked as a teacher’s assistant in an advanced Italian language course. Her research focused on an impressive breadth of Italian studies, specifically language, literature and different historical periods and in addition, included research on the migrant narrative in present day Italy. Her Greek heritage and passion for languages led her to govern the Italian Canadian Association and the Greek Student Association as Vice President and Director of Culture, where she enhanced the cultural programs and expanded the reach of culture for each.

Following her graduate studies, she worked in an international context teaching English as foreign language to students in Florence, Italy, a city she fell in love with due to its rich culture, history and the prevalent museums and art throughout the city. She currently works as a Proposal Writer for mental health services and in the future she hopes to serve a legal career devoted to international law. Additionally, Stavroula dedicates her time to the Hellenic Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization promoting Hellenic heritage and advancing Greek arts, culture and language in Canada, where she has spearheaded cultural initiatives as part of the Next Generation Committee. In her spare time, she volunteers as a tutor for university students in writing and language courses and has worked on TV productions translating scripts and coaching actors with speaking in different languages.

Stavroula is ardent about learning diverse languages which she believes gives her insight into other cultures and the world around her. Currently fluent in four languages -Greek, being her first language, followed by English, French and Italian - she enjoys reading about the arts, archaeology and philosophy specifically in ancient civilizations in each language. In her spare time, she loves to play sports and attend various museums.

Her areas of speciality include:

• Philosophy
• History
• French & Italian language & literature