Creating Meaning, Connection & Hope

Artist. Mother. Alumna. Creator of meaning, connection and hope.

For Vivian Zotali ’94, life has been a journey of learning to trust her own voice—and then using that voice to help others discover theirs.

Born in Manhattan and now based in Athens, Vivian describes herself as an artist of emotion: intuitive, expressive and deeply interested in the connections that bring people together. Today, as a conceptual artist, she creates, exhibits and teaches, approaching art not simply as a form of expression but as a way to encourage reflection, healing and possibility.

Where It All Began: Her ACS Athens Years

Vivian’s ACS Athens story began in first grade at the school’s former Kifissia campus. She later continued at the Agia Paraskevi campus, graduating with the Class of 1994.

Looking back, it is not one particular event that defines those years. Instead, she remembers a collection of experiences: traveling to Germany and the United Kingdom for soccer tournaments, spending everyday moments with friends, participating in student life and discovering the freedom to be herself.

Above all, ACS Athens gave her something she has carried throughout her life: a sense of belonging and freedom.

Energetic and direct, Vivian was never afraid to speak her mind—even when doing so felt uncomfortable. She played center half on the soccer field, served as Vice President during her senior year, and helped organize events for her graduating class. She cared deeply, participated fully, and, as she puts it, expressed herself loudly.

Finding Her Voice

Perhaps one of the most enduring lessons Vivian took from ACS Athens was the confidence to be herself.

The school environment taught her that education extended beyond academics. It was also about learning to express an opinion honestly, balancing hard work with moments of freedom, and experiencing firsthand how people from different cultures could come together and collaborate.

ACS Athens taught Vivian that her voice mattered, that difference could be a strength and that collaboration could be more powerful than competition. Those lessons encouraged her to think globally, feel deeply, and act courageously—qualities that would later become central to both her life and her art.

The Teachers Who “Saw” Her

When Vivian remembers her teachers, what stands out most is the feeling of being seen.

Ms. Daley showed her how literature could carry universal messages and helped her discover ways of expressing herself. Ms. Karvouniaris opened similar doors through history. She remembers Mr. Demos bringing energy—and sometimes humor—to mathematics, Ms. Zoukis and her dedication to French, and Mr. Tzelepis responding with patience to Vivian’s occasionally “disruptive” sense of humor.

She also remembers Mr. Dimtza taking personal time to guide her when college applications became stressful, and Ms. Liakos supporting her through some of the challenges of adolescence.

There are so many teachers she remembers that, Vivian says, she could probably write a book about those who made her feel truly seen. And some of the friendships formed during those years remain close to her heart today.

From ACS Athens to Boston—and Beyond

After graduating, Vivian attended Boston University, where she studied Communications and Public Relations—her first choice. She was attracted to a field that offered room for creativity while connecting people, organizations and ideas.

Her ACS Athens experience had prepared her well for the transition. Entering university, she felt ready to face unfamiliar situations, take on challenges and remain open to new experiences.

More importantly, those years had helped develop her resilience, independence and curiosity. They gave her the confidence to believe she could create a path of her own—even if that path did not resemble anyone else’s.

That willingness to choose her own direction would eventually become one of the defining themes of her life.

When Art Became Her Voice

Today, Vivian is an active conceptual artist whose work centers on personal growth, emotion and giving back. She creates, exhibits and teaches while exploring how art can become a vehicle for connection and transformation.

One particularly meaningful chapter emerged during the COVID-19 lockdown, when Vivian created 40 portraits of playful children as a way of coping with isolation. What began as a deeply personal creative response eventually came full circle: the works were exhibited at ACS Athens in support of the NGO Children First.

For Vivian, it was a powerful intersection of her art, her school and a cause close to her heart.

Other milestones followed. She was commissioned to create the cover artwork for journalist Andreas Belegris’ novel In the Name of the Father, published by IANOS. Her solo exhibitions—including Anamnesis in 2024, supporting Hippolysis, and For (We Are All) Children in 2022—strengthened her belief that art can become a tool for healing, reflection and collective responsibility.

Today, her work is held in collections in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy and Greece—a reminder, for Vivian, that emotion knows no borders.

Art with a Purpose

Giving back is closely woven into Vivian’s creative identity.

She supports Children First and has used her artwork to contribute to causes supporting stray dogs and cats in Athens, as well as other initiatives. Behind these efforts is a simple conviction: giving opportunities to those who are less fortunate is one way each person can help make the world better.

That same philosophy shapes the way she views success. Professionally, Vivian is proud that she had the courage to pursue an unconventional path and allow art to become her voice—a voice centered on possibility, healing and the power of perspective.

Personally, she is proud of the woman and mother she has become. She hopes to show her daughter that fear does not have to determine the direction of one’s life, and that living boldly can itself become an example to others.

The Moment That Changed Everything

For Vivian, becoming a single mother was the defining turning point of her life.

The experience required her to confront fear, reconsider what strength meant and consciously choose the path she wanted to follow. Through hardship, she discovered her voice. Through vulnerability, she discovered her art. And through art, she discovered a deeper sense of purpose: helping others recognize possibility and light within themselves.

It is a philosophy that continues to shape how she creates, teaches and connects with others.

Returning to ACS Athens

Vivian’s connection with ACS Athens did not end with graduation.

In recent years, she has returned to campus as an exhibiting artist, participated in a Global Alumni Insight Session and supported silent auctions through donations of her artwork.

What has stayed with her most from these experiences is the curiosity and openness of today’s students. Their questions about the life of an artist often developed into deeper conversations about their own personal struggles and aspirations. Vivian felt honored by their trust—and grateful for the opportunity to offer encouragement.

Dreaming Into Being

Vivian’s evolving conceptual art project, “Αυτά που Ονειρ-έρχονται” (Dreaming Into Being), explores the subconscious, the unseen and the space between dreams and reality.

At its heart are her “Wish Portraits”—highly personal mixed-media works created collaboratively with each subject. Every portrait carries a private wish, shared with Vivian and subtly embedded within the artwork. The finished piece becomes something more than a portrait: a visual reminder of intention, possibility, vulnerability and hope.

For Vivian, the project also creates an opportunity for fellow ACS Athens alumni to become part of the creative process—as collectors, collaborators or supporters of the idea that art can contribute to transformation and healing.

Conscious Global Citizenship

The idea of developing Conscious Global Citizens resonates deeply with Vivian.

She sees empathy, awareness and connection as essential in a world increasingly shaped by division, rapid judgment and personal isolation. To her, conscious global citizenship begins with recognizing that individual actions—even seemingly small ones—have consequences for the wider community.

Looking beyond borders, cultures and individual perspectives is therefore not simply an ideal. Vivian sees it as fundamental to collective growth, understanding and peace.

It is also one of the reasons she continues to value the ACS Athens Global Alumni community. She sees the network as a catalyst that reconnects her with the roots that shaped her worldview while providing a meaningful platform among people who share an appreciation for creativity, global thinking and purpose-driven lives.

Her Message to the Next Generation

If Vivian could speak to her younger ACS Athens self, she would offer a lesson learned through years of creating, changing direction and taking risks:

Perfection can stop more dreams than failure ever will.

Her advice would be to explore, take life moment by moment—and allow yourself to fail. Often.

To today’s ACS Athens students, she offers another simple message: remain open. There is something to learn from almost every situation, and what people can accomplish together is often far greater than what they can achieve alone.

Vivian would also welcome the opportunity to mentor ACS Athens students and recent graduates, particularly around creative expression, self-discovery, overcoming fear and developing the confidence to follow an unconventional path. She is especially passionate about helping young people reconnect with their inner voice and recognize authenticity as a source of strength.

Because if there is one thread connecting Vivian Zotali’s journey—from the ACS Athens soccer field to Boston University, from motherhood to the artist’s studio and back to the ACS Athens community—it is the courage to keep creating.

To create art.
To create connection.
To create possibility.

And, perhaps most importantly, to create a life that is truly one’s own.

vivianzotali.com