Saints Off the Hill: Devoted Service as a Veteran and Entrepreneur

As we honored our brave service members this past Veterans Day, we were likewise honored to welcome Saints alumnus and retired Lieutenant Colonel Michael Athanasakis ’96 to campus for a Saints Off the Hill presentation at School Meeting and a visit to the AP Government and Politics class. 

A Distinguished Military Graduate commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in Army Aviation in 2000, Mike has held numerous leadership and staff positions, culminating as a Battalion Commander of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. He served on numerous operational and combat deployments supporting Operations Victory Strike III, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Inherent Resolve. 

After leaving Canterbury for the Marine Corps, his career path went slightly off-course. “I wanted to be a pilot in the Marines, but I could not pass the Navy flight physical because I did not have 20/20 vision,” he shared. “Back in the mid-1990s, the Army was the first service to grant a waiver if you had no worse than 20/40 correctable to 20/20 vision. All the services do that now.” So, he transitioned to the Army and spent 20 years as an Officer and Apache helicopter pilot.

Mike advised students that grit and integrity matter. “For me, everything starts with integrity,” he said. “As an Executive Officer, I did many assessment and selection boards for my unit—and I always looked at integrity first. No one can take your integrity from you, whether you are making tough decisions on the battlefield or in the boardroom. Humility and integrity are important. They will win the day and carry you far.”

Mike also emphasized the value of resiliency and perseverance in achieving your long-term goals. “Everybody has the ‘want,’ but those with the ‘will’ succeed,” he said. “And while we all may have that will when we are warm, safe, and not tired, are you going to be able to push through when things are the opposite of that?”

Now a successful entrepreneur, Mike has fulfilled another of his goals—owning and operating a Chick-fil-A restaurant. After visiting a local Chick-fil-A with a friend while pursuing his master’s degree at Murray State University in Kentucky, Mike did some research and discovered the company had a great culture that he wanted to be a part of. “I told my friend, ‘How cool would it be to own one of these someday?’ After I retired from the Army, I entered the selection process,” he explained. Today, he is the proud owner of the highly successful Chick-fil-A Chantilly Air and Space, located just a few miles from Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

His talk gave our Saints plenty to consider as they move forward in their lives. “I was extremely impressed with his business career—how he started in the Army and now operates a restaurant,” said Abdul-Qayyuum Olasewere ’25. “When he was a senior at Canterbury, he likely would not have thought that, 30-plus years later, he would own a Chick-fil-A. It made me realize that you are not limited to just one path. You should always be open to different career options because you never know what is going to make you happy.”

The high value Mike places on integrity also struck a chord with Abdul. “He made me think a lot about why integrity is so important in your life and career,” he said. “You can only be successful if you are honest with yourself and with the people around you.”

We are grateful to Mike for serving as such an outstanding role model for our students—and for serving our country with integrity and honor. 

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