The Journey
To My Success

Panayiota Efstathiou
Panayiota Efstathiou

Panayiota has been having a strong interest in cars since she was a child. She was excited to watch rally races and got fascinated by observing the different car models. She would read all about the unique features of each car model's unique features and gearbox and stay up to date with every new entry to the hall of sports cars. Panayiota is now studying Automotive Engineering at Frederick University and aims to continue her studies in motorsports engineering. "Success is exceeding the limits and achieving your goals", says Panayiota, sharing her up to now experience as a woman in a world mostly taken over by men. That is, until now!

Thekla Neokleous
Thekla Neokleous

"I went through University literally hanging on every word said by my teachers and fellow students to understand what they were saying". Since childhood, Thekla was deprived of the sense of hearing. She listens with her heart, though, and colors the world with a smile. Thekla was given a scholarship to study Graphic Arts at the Arts and Communication Department of Frederick University and successfully graduated. She is now the mum of two, a manager at the company she works at, and an active member of both the Pancyprian Organization of the Deaf and the Cyprus Center for Youth with Hearing Loss. "People with hearing disabilities get frustrated and give up when they can actually succeed!", she says.  

Robert Ponsian Mwombeki
Robert Ponsian Mwombeki

Robert's story would make an excellent "Hollywood movie script" as he says. And it's true. Robert was raised in a small village in Tanzania where he would walk 10km every day to carry water from the river and collect firewood from the forest. Fast forward to a few years ago, being a great student he was offered a scholarship by our University to do his masters in Civil Engineering. Robert is now doing his Ph.D. in Concrete Material Technology at Frederick University. "Success is everything I have accomplished so far," says Robert, who wishes to return to his country after completing his studies "to pass on to the young people there the knowledge I gained and everything I experienced".

David Hadjichristodoulou
David Hadjichristodoulou
Ever since he was a young child, David was drawn to all things mechanical and electronic, looking for ways to make them work. He was already 25 years old when he decided to transfer from studying Computer Science in Athens to Electrical Engineering at Frederick University simply because "that's what I always wanted to do". David was able to study his passion at our University and now specializes in microwave engineering and antenna engineering. "Success is to achieve the best you can with all the means available to you," he says and we couldn't agree more.
Maria Gojkovic
Maria Gojkovic
"Success is when the things you have achieved make you proud and happy," says Maria Gojkovic, a Business Administration graduate whose story takes us on a journey from Serbia during the war to Cyprus, from plans turned upside down to taking control of things and from language being a barrier to broadening her horizons, looking beyond the obvious, exploring new options and finding solutions to problems.
Vladimiros Tziortzis
Vladimiros Tziortzis
Now a successful Cypriot professional racing driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, Vladimiros graduated from our University's Business Administration Department with a master's degree in order to take over the family business. Having an engineer father and a gymnast mother, Vladimiros' childhood years were mostly spent at the Go-Karts where he developed his passion for racing cars. Through his story, he shares his appreciation towards the members of our academic staff for their understanding while being abroad and coping with being a student and a Formula 3 champion at the same time!
Joanna Saba
Joanna Saba

Joanna was born and raised in the Palestinian Gaza Strip. In order to travel to Cyprus where she was given a full scholarship to study Digital Marketing at Frederick University, she had to get permission from the Israeli authorities, travel through the occupied Palestinian territories towards Jordan, and then take the plane to Cyprus. Fast forward to four years later, Joanna graduated at the top of her class, being the first graduate of the new program of study. "Success is achieving my personal goals" no matter how big or small!

Vitaliy Vlasevych
Vitaliy Vlasevych

Vitaliy's passion for video games was developed at the age of 5 when his brother introduced him to the marvelous world of gaming. By 10, he knew he'd be working in the IT field. The older he got, the more he became interested in how video games are developed. Vitaliy is now a game developer, after studying Computer Science at Frederick University. "Success is doing what you love and enjoying it," says Vitaliy. "Only by constantly developing ourselves we can become better, both as humans and professionals!"

Marios Pafitis
Marios Pafitis

Marios grew up curious about learning new things and wanted to discover the world on his own. He was into computers from an early age so it was no surprise that he decided to follow a career in Computer Science that led him into completing a Master's in Web and Smart Systems at Frederick University. Today he is the co-founder of two organizations that were developed for the common good.  "Success is seeing that your actions have made other people’s lives easier", says Marios making us super proud!

Constantinos Christou
Constantinos Christou

Constantinos has always been involved in sports and gymnastics. Although, he wanted to proceed to study his subject, due to unseen difficulties he couldn't. Luckily, he got his chance to hit another milestone by studying Physical Education and Sports Science at Frederick University. He worked hard to combine his studies with training and work, but he managed to successfully handle it. The biggest goal of his life is the creation of an integrated center that covers all the needs of people with disabilities. "Success for me is to outperform yourself. To overcome what the society thinks that is not possible" he says while being the living example.

Gevara Kanjo
Gevara Kanjo
Gevara came to Cyprus on a boat when he was young, living through a nightmare. His family was looking for a better future, and fortunately, they made it. No matter the difficulties he had to face, Gevara is now a professional athlete in AEK Futsal and holder of a BSc in Physical Education and Sports Science from Frederick University. Although it was tough for him to combine studying, working, and training, he met great people that made it all worth it. "Success is to truly love what you do because you chose to do it, not because someone made you do it", he proudly confirms.
Kalliopi Koutsikou
Kalliopi Koutsikou
Kalliopi didn't know what she wanted to study even when she was in her final year to graduate. Eventually, she found her perfect match at Frederick University by choosing the flexible program LLB in Law. Fast forward to a few years later, Kalliopi volunteers and participates in non-academic activities provided by the Department of Law and wins one of the Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights annual competition's three prizes! As she quotes, "Success is doing what you love".
Anton Nikolaevich
Anton Nikolaevich
"Success is having a fulfilling personal life while working at a job you enjoy”, says Anton who was born in Russia and wanted to leave for a warmer climate. When the opportunity raised at Wargaming Cyprus, he jumped at it. As a game developer, he knew everything he needed to thrive in the gaming industry but he was lacking one thing: management skills. And that's how Anton ended up pursuing an MBA at Frederick University, a program much more flexible and different than what he knew.
Paraschos Robert Cant
Paraschos Robert Cant
"Success is the feeling of fulfillment and pride in the hard work you put in and the recognition of that effort", says Paraschos Cant. And truly, Paraschos' hard work and dedication paid off. He graduated top of his class with a BSc in Computer Science and now he is working as a freelancer in a field with unlimited opportunities while pursuing his master's.
Kostas Savva, Demis Ioannou & Christos Theofilou
Kostas Savva, Demis Ioannou & Christos Theofilou
Although Kostas, Demis, and Christos had already acquired their degrees in chartered accountancy and postgraduate degrees in international taxation, they decided to further improve the quality of the service they provide as tax consultants by obtaining an LLB in Law at Frederick University. Today they are partners in the largest legal firm specializing in tax law in Cyprus, proving that "Success is continuously evolving, pushing yourself to become better each day, in order to meet the demands of your time".