The Bayside-based Italian American Women’s Center honored five graduating high school students with $1,000 scholarships during the 22nd annual Scholarship Luncheon on Sunday, July 21 at Vivo! Bayside.
The five high school seniors — Rose Cohen, Ava Deluca, Daniel Esposito, Francesca Picone and Chiara Pullara — were each chosen for the scholarship based on the essays they submitted in which they discussed how they learned the Italian language. During the luncheon, each of the winners read their essays aloud, with Deluca’s mother reading hers due to an inability to attend the luncheon.
“The reason we started the program was not only to encourage our young people to think about their heritage, but also their association with the Italian language and with their grandparents or their parents, who might have come from Italy, to really focus on what their feelings were,” Italian American Women’s Center President Vincenza Russo said. “We hope that the students continue to study their Italian history, their Italian language.”
In addition to encouraging the recipients to continue with their Italian studies in college, Russo also urged them to visit Italy in the future.
Cohen’s essay was about her desire to visit Settefrati, Italy, where her family is originally from. “I want to discover the land where my family is from and become better acquainted with relatives that I’ve never met before so I can learn the full story of my family’s immigration to the United States,” Cohen said. “I’m now more eager than ever to visit Settefrati, because I know that once I finally meet my family, I would fulfill a part of my soul that feels unsatisfied, as this would be the culminating step in discovering my true Italian identity.”
Esposito discussed his grandfather, Gennaro, who was born in a small town outside of Naples. Gennaro snuck onto an American ship that brought him to Brooklyn. He lived under the Coney Island boardwalk before he was able to seek sponsorship. Eventually, he became a U.S. citizen and was a member of the marines.
“Family ties are very important to me,” Esposito said. “I value time spent together celebrating the times of our lives. “I’m a proud Italian and will always enjoy Sunday macaroni and meatballs.”
Pullara emphasized the beauty of the Italian language. She said her decision to take Italian classes each year of high school was one of the best decisions she has ever made. In addition to taking Italian classes throughout high school, both of her parents are fluent in the language. Pullara said she intends to take more Italian classes in college.
“I am proud to be an Italian-American, holding many traditions and aspects of my culture close to my heart. I hope to pass them on for generations to come,” Pullara said. “I simply could not imagine not spending Sunday afternoons around the table at Nonna and Nonno’s house.”
One of the main purposes of this scholarship program is to try encouraging more youths to attend college. Russo has previously stated that many of the scholarship winners already have their sights set on what they eventually want to do as a career.
Founded in 1997, the Italian American Women’s Center is a not-for-profit organization that offers a wide range of programs. It was created to respond to the needs of women of Italian culture in the New York metropolitan area.
Additional reporting by Paul Frangipane.
