Draft:Louis Kokonis

Louis Kokonis (1932-2024) was a high school mathematics teacher from Alexandria, Virginia noted for his lengthy tenure and skill in the classroom. For over 60 years, he taught at Hammond High School, T.C. Williams High School, and Alexandria City High School.

Born in Washington D.C, Kokonis graduated from Roosevelt High School and District of Columbia Teacher's College (now the University of the District of Columbia) after a brief stint in the Army. Later, Kokonis would earn Master's degrees in Education and Mathematics from both the University of Maryland and University of South Carolina.

Kokonis is credited with bringing dual-credit mathematics courses to Alexandria classrooms through a program at Northern Virginia Community College. At his death, Kokonis taught Differential Equations, the highest-level course offered in Alexandria public schools.

In 2019, he was honored by the Virginia General Assembly with House Joint Resolution No. 727. It states: “Louis Kokonis has imparted his passion for lifelong learning to his students, many of whom went on to become physicists, engineers, doctors and professors.” That same year, Kokonis' sixtieth anniversary as a teacher, he was honored with a banquet and scholarship in his honor. Students across his career sent letters with fond memories.