Hello everyone, my name is Georgios Axarlis, I am 15 years old and I am a future participant at Camp Rising Sun this summer. I am a student at the American College Anatolia, in Thessaloniki. At school I am a peer mediator, trying to resolve the conflicts that exist and provide a peaceful environment to the school community. Also, I am a member of the school’s student council, specifically a secretary.

In my free time I play the saxophone and the piano, play basketball and swim, read books and hang out with my friends.  

I was born in the beautiful city of Thessaloniki, in Greece, a country you surely know about. Greece is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa in southern Eastern Europe and is known for its beautiful locations, its cuisine, its Mythology and for being the birthplace of democracy, Western Philosophy, the Olympic Games, and Political Science. 

Well... Greece is also famous nowadays but unfortunately not for a very good reason. Since 2009 Greece is in a great debt crisis and the situation, because of bad choices our politicians made, has deteriorated.

Camp Rising Sun is a huge opportunity for me. I will learn things that I will never forget about, like the fundamental principles of the Declaration of Independence, like democracy, solidarity, providing equal opportunities and the welfare state. Things that will help me become an inspiring leader, a person who people can trust, a person that Greece needs. With what I will learn and the experiences I will gain throughout my life, I want to help my country. The situation that there is inside it is disparaging. I will not focus on the financial area but also on social welfare, trying to help people overcome their problems, which have been caused due to the crisis, like psychological problems. 

The only thing that left to accomplish my dream is the tickets. In order to travel from Greece to New York, I will need your help.