NO. 38
WASHINGTON, DC — From time to time, the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) presents updates on alumni of the AHI Foundation Foreign Policy Study Abroad program or former interns.
Floriana Boardman, a participant on the 2018 AHI Foundation Foreign Policy Study Abroad program, currently is an intern at 60 Minutes with CBS News in New York City. The CBS News Internship Program published Floriana’s article, “The Greek Orthodox Church of America responds to Covid-19” on the program’s Facebook page. The program tasked its interns with writing an article about how COVID-19 is affecting an aspect of their lives during this time of uncertainty.
Floriana reports, “With religion being a communal activity, faiths across the globe have had to deal with COVID-19’s unprecedented isolation. But in a way, the separation is bringing people together more than they realize.
Her reporting examines how the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, under the leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, is responding to the challenges presented by restrictions on the sacraments, such as communion, and the economic stresses of a downturned economy.
As an intern, Floriana works closely with producers and correspondents conducting research for upcoming stories and preliminary interviews. Floriana is a junior at Fordham University majoring in Political Science with a minor in Orthodox Christian Studies. She also interned for Congressman Gus Bilirakis and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. Floriana hopes to merge her love for foreign policy, politics and journalism in her future career.
“We are proud to see all of our Study Abroad alumni continue to take significant strides in their careers following their time in the program,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “Overall, it speaks to the quality and talent of students in the Greek American community. Floriana is our most recent example of this success story, and we wish her continued success going forward.”