«I am not a citizen of Cyprus or a citizen of Greece. I am a citizen of the world». With this meaningful phrase, Panayiotis Diamantopoulos, a law student at the European University of Cyprus, summarizes the new philosophy and the fresh eye that one must have in the digital age. The 1500km that separate Komotini, where he comes from, from Cyprus, was not and will not be an obstacle for him. Facing the changes in his everyday life was hard to adjust to at first but, “I felt like I became my own man,” he states. When it comes to learning and accessing information, there is no such thing as geographical distance. Anyone can have it, whenever and wherever one wants it.
Choosing to study law was a natural course of events for him because of his everyday friction with the subject, his parents are lawyers and it was the environment he grew up in. “The law, though a theoretical subject, requires you to have a strict mathematical thinking process” says Panagiotis Diamantopoulos.
It was his idea to participate in a Model of United Nations (MUN) in London and it was an unforgetable experience for him. Representing a country, at any level, in this case on an educational one, is an honor. And it is a challenge, especially when issues that concern the international community in its whole are raised. Issues for which you do not only hear how they are perceived by other countries, individuals and cultures, but you can become the voice of your own country and show your own point of view. You can be heard louder, further from the narrow geographical boundaries you live in. How did he make this important decision? Studying at the EUC played a catalytic role. “I understood what it means to be in a university with a top notch academic staff».
Can you make your own luck? The times we live in do not make it any easier for young people like Panagiotis, but he wants to turn things around. He keeps a positive attitude towards life, and whatever it throws at him our future lawyer is ready for it. «When you just focus on the negatives, you are putting boundaries on yourself» he states making it clear that nothing can keep him away from his dream. «I have the willingness and the passion to make it and though situations can get ugly at times, you can always escape them». This is how he sets himself as an example for anyone to make the most out of their lives by making sure they have the most valuable asset in their possession. Education and thus, critical judgement.
«My dream is to become the best in whatever path I choose to walk in»…. Panayiotis believes in himself and in his abilities, inspiring everyone to do the same after finding their calling! So all you have to do is believe in you!