AMHS Scholarship Awards - 2009

Scholarship Committee: Chairman – Romeo Sabatini
Ray Bernero – Dr. Mike Corrado - Lucio D’Andrea - Tony D’Onofrio – Donald Mack – William Marmura

Sarah Balistreri
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Major: Italian and Spanish

Dear Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society,
I cannot begin to thank you enough for your generosity towards me in your gift of a $2500 scholarship. I feel so blessed to have been selected for this honor. As one of a family of five children, any amount of assistance towards college tuition is greatly appreciated.
This past year at Georgetown, I have fallen completely in love with the Italian language and culture through my classes and through a study abroad experience in Rome for the month of June. During my time in Italy I was fortunate enough to travel through the Abruzzo region where my family is from. This trip inspired me even more than my classes at Georgetown, and I hope to one day become an Italian teacher to share this beautiful culture with others.
Your generous gift brings me one step closer to my educational goals. Thank you so much again! Sincerely,

Sarah Balistreri

Erika Charleston
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Major: Italian and English

I have always been extremely proud of my Italian heritage. Not only am I linked to a beautiful country that has been home to the most influential thinkers ever to live, but I'm related to a warm and kind culture. It gets disheartening at times, living in an anxiety-filled world where people forget what is important. Italians, though, recognize the importance of family, passion, compassion, and goodness.
I don't know how to begin to express my gratitude to you for giving me this scholarship and I am overwhelmed with joy. My grandparents would be thrilled to know how there are people that recognize the significance of education from a variety of cultures. They'd be even more thrilled to know that it's their culture that I am getting the necessary support to be educated.
My family by ourselves is not able to afford the costs of education, but now that your gift has helped us make it more possible, my mom won't stop talking about it! When she found out she began dancing around the living room to Mambo Italiano. I'm a million times more grateful that her, which is impossible to describe.
Thank you so much for giving me the chance to learn and grow. Sono senza parole. Grazie, grazie, grazie!

Erika Charleston