Scholarship Committee Announces 2019 - 2020 RECIPIENTS

By Ray LaVerghetta

As many of you know, the AMHS awards a scholarship every year to two outstanding students who are either already attending, or have been accepted for admission to, an accredited college or university. The program, which we fund in conjunction with the National Italian American Foundation, selects students who have demonstrated academic excellence as well as a keen interest in the Italian language and culture.

Julia Paola

This year, the AMHS Scholarship Committee, consisting of Lucio D’Andrea, Peter Bell, Romeo Sabatini, Lourdes Tinajero and myself, worked hard over the month of April, scrutinizing the applicant materials and evaluating the students’ many accomplishments and strengths. This year’s group of applicants was arguably the strongest group that the committee has ever reviewed. It is hardly an exaggeration to claim that all of the applicants deserved to win — an impossibility, of course, since we have only two scholarships to award. This year’s applicants were also the largest group to ever compete.

Thomas Ronan

Following a careful evaluation of the candidates, the Scholarship Committee selected Julia Paola and Thomas Ronan as the scholarship winners for the 2019-2020 academic year. Ms. Paola is a rising sophomore at George Washington University, where she is majoring in International Affairs and Political Science and minoring in Italian Language and Literature. She traces her Italian roots through her paternal side to Calabria and Piedmont. Her ultimate career goal is work for the U.S. government as a Foreign Service officer in the State Department. Ms. Paola’s permanent residence is in Annapolis, Maryland.

Mr. Ronan, from Macungie, Pennsylvania, is a rising freshman at Georgetown University. He plans to major in the Italian language, with a minor concentration in classical and medieval studies. His Italian lineage runs through his mother to Bergamo, Lombardy. His plans currently include postgraduate specialization in Italian studies, leading to a career as a university professor or museum curator. This year’s winners will be honorary members of the society for the calendar year 2020.

The AMHS President will invite them to attend a meeting as the society’s guest, at which time they will address the membership and tell us about themselves, their studies and interests, their plans, and their relationship to Italy. The committee, and the AMHS in general, are delighted to be able to assist such extraordinary students, and we are confident that they will do their part to promote the Italian language and Italian culture in the years ahead.