Iro Pantazi Mytarelli
Ioannina, Greece
Class Of: 2012

Campus: Old Westbury
Major: Computer Science, M.S.

Graduate student Iro Pantazi Mytarelli dreamed of experiencing life in New York City since she was a little girl in Greece. Her grandfather, who lived in New York for 20 years, had painted a vivid picture of its magnificent places and many cultures.

“Everybody has this American dream, to come here and see New York,” says Mytarelli, who completed her undergraduate degree in computer engineering and informatics at the University of Patras in Greece. She says that when she was accepted into NYIT’s master’s program in computer science, she couldn’t wait to arrive in the United States, or for her first day of classes on network security and safe communication to begin.

Her arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport last fall was not quite as planned.

“My first thought was, ‘Tomorrow morning, I will take the airplane back to Greece.’"

While tall buildings, enormous roads, and jet lag proved intimidating at the start of her journey, Mytarellli acknowledges that both NYIT and New York “will sooner or later make you fall in love with them.” In the midst of attending classes and preparing papers for conferences and scientific magazines, she began to make friends with other international students at the university.

“I befriended a Turkish girl, and I emphasize that because Greece and Turkey have a complicated relationship. But here, there are no religions, no colors, no weaknesses—once in New York, you are a citizen of the world.”

As a female engineer, Mytarelli appreciates the idea that “every single man or woman is unique and receives the respect of others” in America. In Greece, she felt that many people assumed she would shy away from studying engineering just because she is a woman. At NYIT, she believes she can prove that women are capable of much more.

“I do not forget my country, Greece. It is a beautiful place, but constant daily problems can make you tough and lonely. This city, New York, gives me the ability to ‘open my wings’ and fly. At NYIT, I can broaden my mind, change my mentality. I have friends from Turkey, China, India, Puerto Rico—Muslims, Buddhists— and I am proud of that. That is the reason I have been dreaming of this journey for so many years, and I thank the universe I have been given this opportunity!”