Sula Tsioros (Yiayia)

YiayiaConnor Tsioros 

Yiayia: My Hero

     Yiayia, which means grandmother in Greek, is my hero because she is a very brave and determined individual. I chose my Yiayia as my hero because she was courageous enough to come Canada on her own without knowing the language or culture and was determined to fulfill her dream of becoming a hairdresser. My Yiayia was only 18 years of age when she arrived in Canada. She worked in a clothing factory and quickly began learning the English language. My Yiayia eventually earned enough money to go to hairdressing school and soon got her license. Soon after, she met my grandfather and got married. They had four children. Life was not easy for my Yiayia. She was now responsible for taking care of the children and working at her friend’s hair salon.  I am proud of my Yiayia because she not only fulfilled her dream of becoming a hairdresser, but she also opened her own hair salon, which she had for over 30 years. It was quite a successful business. Even though my Yiayia is now retired from hairdressing, she keeps quite active. My Yiayia is 84 years old, but she still loves to jog, play squash and pickleball. She is also involved with a public speaking club. I admire my Yiayia for all that she has accomplished in her life. She truly is my HERO!