Winter 2011/2012 - Tiffin University

Abbey Lopez KanellakisHometown Upper Sandusky, Ohio; now lives in Tiffin, Ohio Class Year 2006Degree CommunicationAbbey Kanellakis has never lived orworked more than a half-hour fromTiffin, but Tiffin University has helpedexpand her horizons to begin a study ofthe public relations problems of Greece.A large part of this is because sheis married to Pavlo Kanellakis, TU Classof 2005, former Assistant Director of theEnglish Language and American Cultureprogram at TU. Pavlo is the son ofthe late TU faculty member and Dean,A minute with Abbey ...Favorite Movie: My long-runningfavorite is “What DreamsMay Come,” with RobinWilliams. We all need a goodcry at some point in our live .What did you want to be growingup? I was 8 when mygrandmother took me toThe Star Theatre to see myfirst musical, “Oklahoma.”I was hooked. From thatday on, if there was anopportunity for me to get upon a stage, you couldn’t stopme!What is your dream vacation?I suppose I can’t say Greeceanymore, though I alwaysjump at the chance to goback. I have always wantedto visit Ireland in the spring.Who would you have lunch withliving or deceased? Thelist is way too long, but if Ihad to choose one it wouldbe Jesus. I am not really areligious person, so I wouldlike to learn - from the sourcehow the message originatedand more importantly, whatthat message was.Janet Hanna, and was born and raisedin Greece and came to the states to goto TU.Developing a world-view whichincludes a graduate project on the presentday problems of Greece came aboutbecause of perspectives Abbey learnedat Tiffin.“Upper Sandusky is a farmingand factory town. I was never a greatstudent. No one in my family had goneto college. I came to Tiffin on a musicscholarship, and being here changedeverything,” she said.At TU, she was active in UniversityChoir, Up in the Air and Higher Groundvocal groups, and directed one-act playswith the Mediacs. She also performedin several theatrical performances anddirected a few full-length plays, as wellas a one-act production She eventuallyrealized her interests were more in writingand communications. She also hadthe chance to build strong relationshipswith professors and classmates, “manyof whom are still really great friends.”Her first job after Tiffin was a yearat the weekly newspaper in Willard,Ohio. “ I learned writing, investigating,creativity and sticking to a job. It was agreat education, and led directly to theA-T,” she said. Since 2007, she has beenthe Sunday editor at The Advertiser-Tribune.Abbey Lopez KanellakisThe developing of a public relationsconcept relating to the troubledGreek government is a part of her onlinemaster’s degree in Public Relationsthrough Kent State, and a project whichher faculty adviser feels can be published.Abbey and Pavlo have two youngdaughters, Giselle and Sofia.ClassScene SpotlightWINTER 2011 / 12 | CHALLENGE | 43