Stavros
Protogerakis
Position: Coordinator of the 12th Grade Curriculum, Physics Teacher
School Level: High School
Microsoft Innovative Education Expert
Microsoft Certified Educator
Employed Since: 2003
Stavros Protogerakis was born in Heraklion, Crete, in 1965. Raised by his parents, Antigoni and Manolis, alongside his younger sister, Niki, he spent his childhood in various places including Volos, Kalamata, Athens, Tripoli in Libya, and the Tanagra Air Base, among others.
He graduated from Glyfada High School in 1982 and pursued a degree in Physics at the University of Crete, completing his studies in 1987 with a degree score of 8.05. During his university years, he was fortunate to be taught Classical, Quantum, and Electrodynamics by Professor Stefanos Trachanas, a remarkable teacher who inspired his passion for education.
After being admitted to the postgraduate Physics program at the University of Crete, Stavros began his research in nonlinear Physics, specifically in superconducting Josephson junctions. However, the tragic assassination of his thesis advisor, Professor Stefanos Pneumatikos, along with Professor Vassilis Xanthopoulos during a computer science lecture, led Stavros to abandon his postgraduate studies.
Despite an invitation to pursue a PhD at the Technical University of Copenhagen, Stavros decided against an academic career, a choice that allowed him to focus on his family, including his three children: Nefeli, now a dentist; Emmanuela, a philologist specializing in psychology; and Manos, a medical student at the University of Crete.
The inspiration planted by Professor Trachanas motivated Stavros to enter the field of education as a teacher, a role he has embraced with enthusiasm, dedication, and dreams for nearly 30 years. Stavros has worked as a private tutor, at the "THETIKO" tutoring center founded by his dear friend and colleague K. Kyriakoulis, and at the "RODION PAIDEIA" schools since their inception. He served as the Principal of the Junior High School and has been the Coordinator of the 12th Grade Curriculum for several years. Over his many years at the school, he has witnessed numerous students achieve their goals, gaining admission to their preferred university programs with outstanding results. Many of these students now hold significant positions within the community of Rhodes.
Stavros has a deep passion for photography, having served as the president of the Rhodes Photographic Group and as a member of the Athens Photographic Circle. He has participated in both group and solo exhibitions in Rhodes and Athens. Through photography courses, he met another influential mentor, Plato Rivellis. His photography work has been published by Fotohoros, and he has taught photography at the Department of Art Conservation at the state IEK.
He also has a love for sports, having played basketball from a young age with ANOG Glyfada, continued with the University of Crete team, and participated in the Rhodes work league. He also played soccer for two years in the local league with the "RODION Athletics" team, the sports club of the "RODION PAIDEIA" schools.
Stavros is an avid reader, with a book always by his bedside. He enjoys traveling, music, and cinema.
He lives by the principle that "the end does not justify the means," a philosophy that guides him through both the easy and challenging moments in life.
