A long way from home…
My full name is Basilios Konstantinos Dimitrelias. If you are wondering about my 31 character name it’s Greek. My father is Greek and my mother is an American from Indianapolis, Indiana which is where I was born. In 1983, my family moved from the United States to the beautiful island of Samos, Greece in the eastern Aegean Sea. We were a family of farmers producing wine and olive oil.
Samos is famous for its muscat grape vines and wine but also big parts of the island are covered with olive trees making olive oil and wine the two most exported products on the island.
At the time I had no access to a computer, there was no internet or cell phones around, and our television only played two channels. I think I can safely say that my childhood was different than one of a typical American boy.
When I graduated high school in 1998, my mother encouraged me to return to Indianapolis and pursue a college education. Leaving my friends and family behind was not an easy decision or one I took lightly, but in July of 1998, I returned to the United States with a desire to learn and try something new. Moving from a small island to an American city was a drastic change for a 17-year-old, but with family support and determination I was able to establish myself and begin a new life in America.
I enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College in downtown Indianapolis and attended for two years, building my reading and writing skills in order to pursue a 4 year college degree. In the Spring of 2001, I enrolled as a student at Indiana University, Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI).
In May of 2005, I completed my studies and received a Bachelor degree in Computer Graphic Technology (CGT) from The Purdue School of Engineering at IUPUI.
Before I could begin my professional career I had one more obligation to fulfill back in Greece. As a dual citizen I was required to complete my military service in Greece, something Greek men do right after high-school at the age of 18. So In October of 2005, I traveled back to Greece to join the Army where I completed 9 months of service.
In August 2006, I returned to the States to start my professional career as a Graphic Designer. It wasn’t until June of 2007 that I started a full time position for an Indiana based manufacturing company as a Graphic Designer. I have learned a lot working in the marketing world over the last 13 years. I currently still hold my position as a Senior Graphic Designer & Website Developer working for a fantastic company and Marketing team.
Well time sure does fly…
Through all this time I also have two sons that I adore. Because of them, and my passion for learning new things, I continue to do freelance work to help supports my family and at the same time help others with their online marketing presence and brand.