While He Was at the Palai De Spor of the Aristotle University of Salonika He Was Praised for Receiving a Degree at the Age of 79

 

Strange how things turn out in life…Your unfulfilled desires never really leave you. When you want something and conditions do not allow you to fulfil your dream, then you will find a way to make the dream of your heart and soul come true.

Something like this happened to Asterio Yousio, president of Aris veteran basketball players, and economics degree holder at the age of 79

At the age of 79, he was at the Graduation Hall of Aristotle University where he was praised for ‘’scoring the best goal’’ in his recent years.

He says, ’’On March 16, 2016 I felt both beautiful and awkward. When my name was called out, there was so much excitement. All my fellow classmates got up and started clapping.  It was the best ‘’scored goal’’ of my life, to use a basketball term.’’

Humanstories.gr tells stories of people who can inspire others to become free of misery and idleness.

This is what happened with Asterios Yousio. He unravels the story of his life and of how his desire for and education was suppressed due to times much more difficult than today’s.

‘’I have been going to the YMCA in Pylio since 1961.Mr Tsikinas was director and I was responsible for the athletics department. Four years later, in 1965, the World Council of Churches from Geneva came and saw the way I had been working and asked me to go to Chicago and study Education for four years. I could also be playing basketball. Happily, I then went to my father. At that time I was twenty-eight years old. My father said, ‘How can you leave your elders behind?’ I then told the council I could not accept their honorable offer because of my family.

That great opportunity for an education was lost, as was the opportunity to study economics at a school here because I had to work fifteen and sixteen hours a day at my father’s printing office—which still stands today. However, it happened that I met my wife, Maria Iliopoulou, with whom I have been married for fifty-one years. Because of her, my children, Hristos and Eftihia, acquired exceptional characters. Besides, my father gave me two pieces of advice as a heritage: ‘Find the right woman to play it safe. Second, you have two hands at work. One is your workers and the other is your customers. If you lose one, you will have a problem.’ Mr Yousio says that he gave this advice to his children. Moreover, he made an unprecedented decision at the age of 79:

‘’When Mr Samaras voted to abolish the system of lifelong undergraduates, it really upset me. When Mr Tsipras came he brought back this system, and so I decided I had the chance to get my degree. I had to take three more courses and I did. The secretary ad the general secretary treated me very well. I was sure I would get the degree.

Asterios Yousios is the son of the biggest families of athletes in Greece, that of  kleanthi Vikelidi. His mother was Mr Vikelidi’s sister. Mr Yousios is not only a happy husband and father but he is also a doting grandfather, and he is very proud of his three grandchildren. Asterios  plays football and he dreams of playing in Bayern. Sarantis is involved in Tae Kwon Do and Antony has one of the best  mathematical  minds of our times. Although Antony has his grandfather’s height of over six feet, he does not care to learn about championships.

Collection of Printing Art in the Basement of His Factory

If you visit the basement of the factory belonging to the family Yousiou in Oraiokastro, Salonika, you will be amazed. There is an incredible array of printing art, with machinery dating from 1904 till today.

In the summer of 2016 there will be the Sixth World Council on Printing. Two projects will be completed by the Yousiou family.