The following is a post from the official page of Franklin & Marshall University of the United States of America regarding our programmes' graduate, Menelaos Rapti.
Franklin & Marshall University of the United States of America freshman Menelaos Raptis was just 7 years old when he received his first telescope - a surprise gift from his father. Menelaos said the perfect place for stargazing was his hometown of Thessaloniki, a port city on the Thermaikos Gulf of the Aegean Sea.
"Through stargazing I was able to develop my imagination and my interest in space - and formulate some questions: "Is there alien life on other planets? What are the limits of the universe?" said Menelaos. "That's when I decided to become the scientist who would provide some answers to these questions."
In 2017, Menelaos was named the youngest European Space Ambassador after winning an 'Odysseus II' competition, which challenged contestants to visualise the universe in the future.
"This was the beginning of a very beautiful journey through the path of science," he said.
In addition, Menelaos was a member of Eduact's Greek national robotics team and a participant in the NASA Hackathon. This semester, he will join the team of F&M students analyzing data for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope under the guidance of Ryan Trainor, assistant professor of physics.
Menelaos brought his passion for planets to a wider campus audience. He helped implement the College's first Space Week this month. The event included faculty and guest speakers addressing the field of astrophysics - and beyond.
"Franklin & Marshall College is not just a place for students. It's a place for leaders. For students with a vision to create something new, to advance their passion through their ideas. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to realize this at a top-notch institution," said Menelaos.You can read the full article here.
