November Regional Feature: Southeast Region
Every month, the OCF social media platforms will be featuring one of the nine regions of chapters. November is the month for the Southeast Region, which includes Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama, Tennessee, and southern Kentucky.
On the blog, I’ll be asking the Regional Student Leader–for Southeast, the enchanting Fevronia Koufogazos–for a few names of people in their region who are absolutely rockin’ it. It’s an opportunity for every region to showcase and share that which makes them unique and awesome, and hopefully all the regions can learn from and grow with each other.
So, without further ado, your Southeast All-Stars!
Yianni Margiotis, North Carolina District Leader, UNC-Charlotte
My name is Yianni Margiotis, and I am a senior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I am a double major in in Biology and Psychology, and I am currently applying to dental school. I am a student district leader of NC for OCF. I’m from Charlotte, NC, and I am somewhat of a basketball globetrotter. 
How did you get involved in OCF?
I first heard about OCF in my senior year in high school. Unfortunately, the university I was going to attend did not have an active chapter. Niko Wilk and Isabella Calpakis, great friends of mine and the founders of Charlotte’s chapter, successfully started OCF. Once I started college, I decided to attend an OCF meeting. Our chapter was small at first, but after a few years, the Charlotte OCF has grown tremendously, and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of a wonderful group of Orthodox college students.
What are some of your greatest memories/experiences from OCF?
I have two amazing memories. My first greatest memory was attending my first Workdaze, a biannual event where Orthodox Christian college students from all over the Southeast get together for fellowship, community service, and to be in the presence of Christ. It was wonderful to meet so many college students with the same interest as me, along with the same faith. My second greatest memory was an ordinary OCF meeting that was held last year in 2016. It was ordinary because we have meetings twice a month per usual, however it’s great to see how far we have come as a chapter here in Charlotte.
What’s something cool going on in your chapter/district/region that you’d like to share?
In our region, we currently have over 110 college students attending Workdaze this fall. The last event that was held, which was in the spring, the number of college students was 68. It’s amazing to see how the message of Workdaze has spread to others and how new college students can see how great of a time it is to look forward to.
Any advice you could give to someone else in your position (Chapter Pres., District Leader, etc…) across the nation?
My advice for someone who is in my position currently, which is the Student District Leader of NC (or in this case, any state), would be to get to know as many people in OCF as you can in your district and keep in contact with them. By doing this, they can see that they are not in this alone. You have to set an example of how an Orthodox college student is suppose to act; that you can go through your college years with clarity of mind knowing that Christ is helping you every step of the way.
Adriana Lane, Media Team Member, NC State Design School
My name is Adriana Lane! I am a sophomore in the Design School at NC State University in Raleigh, NC, but I grew up in Greensboro, NC. I am planning to double major in both Design and Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. I would love to own a design company one day, and I love donuts and coffee! I am a member of the Media Team for the Southeast region; we create social media content to promote OCF.
How did you get involved in OCF?
I got involved in OCF at NC State during my freshman year through friends of mine. My first major event that I attended was Workdaze in the fall of last year, and I immediately fell in love with OCF.
What are some of your greatest memories/experiences from OCF?
Some of the greatest memories that I have had through OCF would definitely be at Workdaze. I was able to meet so many new friends and connect with Orthodox college students around the Southeast.
What’s something cool going on in your chapter/district/region that you’d like to share?
Workdaze is a retreat that we have once a semester in the Southeast! It is probably the best weekend out of my semester, and I look forward to it all year. We all come to the Diakonia Center (one of the most beautiful places on earth), and we volunteer for a weekend. It is a great way to see old friends and make new ones! As college students, I feel that we often get so caught up in our daily lives that we often put our faith on the back burner. For me personally, I find that this weekend is so important and provides a spiritual rejuvenation that helps me remember what really matters.
Any advice you could give to someone else in your position (Chapter Pres., District Leader, etc…) across the nation?
If I was to give someone advice in my position, I would probably say have fun and find a way to enjoy what you are doing. I am so thankful for the Southeast Media Team, they have all taught me so much. They are the most amazing and hardworking people, and we all have so much fun with what we do!
