Welcome to the William C. Kontes Memorial Scholarship webpage.

This scholarship, established in 2021 at College Year in Athens by CYA alumna Zoë Kontes (CYA ’95), honors the life of Zoë’s brother, William Constantine Kontes (CYA ’99), 1977-2019.

Will was known for his skilled leadership, generosity, humor, strength of character, dynamic personality, and kindness. He was a great advocate for the people and causes he believed in. He represented what CYA strives to achieve, helping young people become successful citizens of the world and happy individuals, well-anchored in Hellenism.

The William C. Kontes Memorial Scholarship is an annual, need-based scholarship that focuses on rewarding ambitious, goal-oriented college level students admitted to College Year in Athens for a full academic year (September to May).

Award recipients are selected each May for the following academic year. Recipients of the William C. Kontes Memorial Scholarship are encouraged to volunteer during their academic year at College Year in Athens. College Year in Athens, in making scholarships available, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, ability, or national/ethnic origin.

The William C. Kontes Memorial Scholarship is administered by College Year in Athens and Zoë Kontes ’95 and supported by CYA, CYA alumni, and individual donors.

Note from Zoë:

My brother Will was only 17 when he arrived in Greece for the first time, joining me at CYA’s summer language program on Paros. Many gyro-eating contests, harpooned octopuses, and somewhat worse-for-the-wear rental cars later, Will’s love of the country of our ancestors was firmly cemented. His Greek language skills needed more work; he improved them during his classes at CYA, while also developing an impressively colorful vocabulary at the kafeneion, playing tavli with the neighborhood elders. Although we had family roots in Greece, it was CYA that became our family, and provided the opportunity for us to explore those roots. Will seized that opportunity with gusto, and took advantage of everything CYA offered. He immersed himself fully in Greek life, and forever after held Greece and CYA in his heart. He joked before his last trip to Athens that he was going to CYA to win his Lifetime Achievement Award, and in a way, this scholarship is that award. I hope that Will’s spirit and enthusiasm for Greece will live on in perpetuity in the students who attend CYA with assistance from the William C. Kontes Scholarship

Online
Make a secure online donation through College Year in Athens’s Network for Good platform

Mail
Make a gift by check – mail a check or money order to:
College Year in Athens
PO BOX 390890, Cambridge, MA 02139
*Please designate your gift to the William C. Kontes Memorial Scholarship

Wire Transfer*
Bank of America, ABA 026009593
100 Federal Street Boston, MA 02109
Acct. 0000501-69735 (College Year in Athens, Inc.)

*Please notify bursar@cyathens.org when you make the transfer
**Please designate your gift to the William C. Kontes Memorial Scholarship

College Year in Athens is a tax-exempt organization and a 501(c)3 charitable organization.
College Year in Athens Tax EIN is 04-2374513
College Year in Athens’s legal name is College Year in Athens, Inc.

Born in Vineland, NJ, to C. William and Laura Kontes, Will grew up in Millville, NJ. He attended The Ellison School, The Hill School, and American University. He spent his junior year at College Year in Athens. After graduating from college, Will began his career at Ameriprise Financial. He most recently held the position of Managing Director with the Private Client Group of Boenning and Scattergood. In both his business and personal life, Will was a mentor to many. He had wisdom beyond his years and an ability to instill absolute confidence in his decisions. He could always be trusted to give thoughtful advice.

Will had already made a significant difference in the world, even at his young age. He was very involved in his community and served on the boards of Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, and the Bayshore Center at Bivalve. He was also a member of The Society of Colonial Wars, Gulf Mills Golf Club, The Fellowship Gun Club, and Old York Road Sports Car Club.

Will embraced life to the fullest. He adored his wife and children above all, and he had a passion for traveling, reading, skiing, golfing, and automobiles. Whether coaching his son’s soccer team or attending a daddy-daughter dance, driving in a vintage road rally in Texas, eating lobsters in Maine in the summer, or swimming in Antiparos with a half a watermelon on his head, he loved to be active and spend time with his family and friends. He enjoyed planning great adventures and was the consummate host and a great connector of people. Will had perfect comedic timing, impeccable style, and a warm, loving nature. He will always be remembered.

There are several other scholarship opportunities for CYA applicants. Learn more here.