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Fifteen Tri-State Area Residents Receive National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Scholarships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Elissa Ruffino (NIAF) 202/939-3106 or elissa@niaf.org


(WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 7, 2013) Fifteen university students who reside in the Tri-State area have received National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Scholarships. The students are Allessandra DiCorato of Wilton, Conn., Matthew Regina of Stamford, Conn., Alicia Vinci of Burlington, Ct., Raymond Bellon of Haworth, N.J., Jade Bonacolta of Upper Saddle River, N.J., Andrew Mascelli of Chatham, N.J., Matthew Mayers of Franklin Lakes, N.J., Vincent Mirabella of Lebanon, N.J., Laura Sorice of Old Bridge, N.J., Brendan Blendell of Albany, N.Y., Teague Florio of Southampton, N.Y., John Fusco of Staten Island, N.Y., Carmine Giannotto of the Bronx, N.Y., Samuel Pellegrino Connors of Baldwin, N.Y. and Teisha Ruggiero of New York, N.Y.

“NIAF has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships and grants across the country since its inception. NIAF’s leadership is extremely proud of the high caliber of students and their outstanding achievements,” said NIAF Chief Operating Officer John M. Viola.

NIAF celebrates its 38th anniversary this year. The scholarship program has grown from four scholarships of $250 each to dozens of annual scholarships that range in value from $2,000 to $10,000 each in the humanities, medicine, business, engineering, music, Italian language and culture and other specialized fields.

Scholarship winners are selected based on academic merit and are academically outstanding, with an average GPA of 3.95. The average scholarship in the United States was more than $4,000.

In addition to NIAF’s scholarship program, this year NIAF donated funds for the Cooperativa Sociale Nazareno, a facility for disabled and mentally challenged individuals, ravaged by the recent Emilia Romagna earthquake in May 2012. NIAF also sent college students to Italy’s Campania and Lazio regions to participate in the Ambassador Peter F. Secchia Voyage of Discovery program, an educational and cultural initiative.

Contributors to the NIAF scholarship program include corporations, individuals and organizations across the United States.

Apply online for a 2013-2014 NIAF scholarship at www.niaf.org/scholarships. Application deadline is March 1, 2013.

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., and dedicated to preserving the heritage of Italian Americans. Visit www.niaf.org.

NIAF SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS FROM TRI-STATE AREA
• Allessandra DiCorato of Wilton, Conn., has received the John A. Volpe Scholarship. DiCorato attends Cornell University.
• Matthew Reggina of Stamford, Conn., has received the NIAF New York Golf Scholarship. Reggina attends Iona College and is majoring in Business and Accounting.
• Alicia Vinci of Burlington, Conn., has received the Richard Perrone Scholarship. Vinci attends Emerson College and is majoring in Television Production/Communications.
• Raymond Bellon of Haworth, N.J., has received the NIAF Intel Scholarship and the Vincent Zecchino Medical Fellowship. Bellon attends Columbia University and is majoring in Chemical Engineering.
• Jade Bonacolta of Upper Saddle River, N.J., has received the Agnes E. Vaghi Scholarship. Bonacolta attends Barnard College, Columbia University and is majoring in Italian and English with a concentration in Economics.
• Andrew Mascelli of Chatham, N.J., has received the NIAF Jim Cantalupo Scholarship. Mascelli attends Pennsylvania State University and is majoring in Italian.
• Matthew Mayers of Franklin Lakes, N.J., has received the Eleanor and Anthony DeFrancis Scholarship. Mayers attends California Institute of Technology and is majoring in Chemistry and Mathematics.
• Vincent Mirabella of Lebanon, N.J., has received the Filomena Peloro Scholarship. Mirabella is a MD/Ph.D. Candidate at UMDNY-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University and the Princeton University M.D.,Ph.D. Program.
• Laura Sorice of Old Bridge, N.J., has received the Marnell Foundation Scholarship. Sorice attends University of Pennsylvania and is majoring in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
• Brendan Blendell of Albany, N.Y., has received the Caroline Guarini Memorial Scholarship. Blendell attends Vassar College and is majoring in Music.
• Teague Florio of Southampton, N.Y., has received the NIAF New York Golf Scholarship. Florio attends Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is majoring in Engineering.
• John Fusco of Staten Island, N.Y., has received the Merrill Lynch Scholarship. Fusco attends University of Delaware and is majoring in Biology and Pre-Veterinary.
• Carmine Giannotto of Bronx, N.Y., has received the NIAF Scholarship Honoring Military Service. Giannotto attends St. Francis College and is majoring in Physical Education.
• Samuel Pellegrino Connors of Baldwin, N.Y., has received the Ferdinand J. Maggiore Fellowship. Samuel attends Stony Brook University.
• Teisha Ruggiero of New York, N.Y., has received the NIAF NIABA Scholarship. Ruggiero attends Brooklyn Law School.