With a lot of studying and hard work 18-year-old Panagiotis Mystakides, from the College of Anatolia in Thessaloniki, managed to score 18,957 points and was first to be accepted into the Mechanical Engineering Department at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and has now also been accepted into ETH University of Zurich, one of the world's top 5 universities in the fields of Mathematics, Physics and Engineering.
"I have not yet decided where to go, as both universities are excellent. What I mostly want to do is to research,” says the young high school graduate who has excelled in mathematics and physics.
His dream has now become a reality and Panagiotis told Greek media that with a lot of reading, determination and support from his family and teachers, he was able to gain the marks he was hoping for.
"I feel my efforts have been rewarded. I did not expect to be first to be honest, but this is certainly an honour,” he says. The bright young student believes there is a lot to take into consideration before making his final decision as to where he will further his studies.
“I think all children want to stay in their country but given the difficult circumstances that currently exist in Greece, I think it’s more likely to go abroad, if not now then maybe sometime in the future. My final decision on whether to study here or in Zurich is not easy," Panagiotis said, speaking to thestival.gr.
He added, "We can’t predict the future of Greece in 20 years, if new jobs become available, if the economy is at a better level, if growth is to take place. There are many factors that will determine such a decision."
Panagiotis believes the level of studies in Greece are exceptional, "Greek polytechnics are at a very good level, but compared to those from abroad, they are lagging behind in research." Whatever school he eventually chooses, Panagiotis hopes to find interesting people who will be able to inspire him to achieve his goals.
*Source: thestival.gr.
