24 NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY and CONNECTICUT University students receive NIAF Scholarships

Twenty-four university students who reside in the Tri-State area have received National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Scholarships.


Seventeen students in New York include: Tzintzun Aguilar Izzo of Colton; Thomas Alia and Joseph Bronzo of Staten Island; Alessandra Angelino of Katonah; Nina Angileri of Middletown; Alice Bongiorno of East Islip; Joseph Castiglione and Taylor Nardi of Brooklyn; Anthony Ferrara of Nesconset; Christian Greco of Briarcliff; Melinda Kiefer of Mt. Vernon; Nicholas Marinelli of Port Washington; Francesca Petrillo of Poughquag; Domenico Pietromonaco of New Hyde Park; Natalie Ricci of New York City; Gabrielle Rockwell of Endicott; and Jennifer Ryan of Liverpool.


Students from New Jersey include:Caroline Bilotti of Spring Lake; Jessica Isgro of Morris Plains; Justin Juliano of Ocean City; Daniel Malinconico of New Egypt; and Marco Salerno of Princeton Junction. Two students from Connecticut are Bryce Ciccaglione of Milford and Martina Costagliola of Shelton.


Since NIAF’s inception 40 years ago, the scholarship program has grown from four scholarships of $250 each to dozens of annual scholarships ranging in value from $2,000 to $12,000, each in the Italian language and culture, medicine, engineering, business, law, music, and other specialized fields. Last year, the average scholarship to students in the United States was worth more than $6,000.


"Since 1975, NIAF has awarded millions of dollars in merit-based scholarships and cultural grants to undergraduate, graduate, post graduate, medical and law students from across the country. NIAF values the importance of education and the role it plays in helping deserving Italian American students build promising futures,” said Anita Bevacqua McBride, co-chair of the Foundation’s Education and Grants Committee.


Scholarship applicants must be a NIAF member or have a parent or guardian who is a member of the Foundation. Applicants must be enrolled in or entering an accredited college or university in the United States in the fall of 2016. Students must be of Italian descent, with at least one ancestor who has emigrated from Italy. Additionally, applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens. NIAF scholarship recipients are selected based on academic merit and have an average GPA of 3.5 out of 4.0 to apply.


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


Apply online for a 2016-2017 NIAF scholarship at www.niaf.org/scholarships. Application deadline is March 1, 2016. NIAF scholarship winners will be notified May 2, 2016.


For more information on establishing a NIAF scholarship, contact NIAF Director of Programs Gabriella Mileti at [email protected].


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


Students from New York:


· Tzintzun Aguilar Izzo of Colton, N.Y., has received the NIAF Jack Valenti Scholarship. Tzintzun Aguilar Izzo attends Emerson College and is pursuing a master’s degree in media art.




· Thomas Alia of Staten Island, N.Y., has received the Filomena J. Peloro Scholarship. Alia attends Pratt Institute and is pursuing a master’s degree in architecture.




· Alessandra Angelino of Katonah, N.Y., has received the Vincent Zecchino Medical Scholarship. Angelino attends Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and is pursuing a degree in medicine and public health.




· Nina Angileri of Middletown, N.Y., has received the Filomena J. Peloro Scholarship. Angileri attends Haverford College and is pursuing a degree in archaeology.



· Alice Bongiorno of East Islip, N.Y., has received the Antonio and Felicia Marinelli Scholarship. Bongiorno attends The American University of Rome and is pursuing a degree in international relations.




· Joseph Bronzo of Staten Island, N.Y., has received the Gene Pettignano Scholarship Fund. Bronzo attends Lafayette College and is pursuing a degree in government and law and English with a minor in French.




· Joseph Castiglione of Brooklyn, N.Y., has received the Giargiari Medical Scholarship. Castiglione attends New York Medical College and is pursuing a degree in medicine.



· Anthony Ferrara of Nesconset, N.Y., has received the Frank J. Corsaro Scholarship. Ferrara attends the University of North Carolina School of Law and is pursuing a juris doctor degree.



· Christian Greco of Briarcliff, N.Y., has received the Filomena J. Peloro Scholarship. Greco attends Fordham University and is pursuing a degree in business.



· Melinda Kiefer of Mt. Vernon, N.Y., has received the Filomena J. Peloro Scholarship. Kiefer attends Purchase College, State University of New York and is pursuing a master’s degree in fine art.



· Nicholas Marinelli of Port Washington, N.Y., has received the Frank D. Stella Scholarship. Marinelli attends Boston College and is pursuing a degree in accounting and finance.




· Taylor Nardi of Brooklyn, N.Y., has received the Maurizio A. Gianturco Scholarship. Nardi attends the University of Delaware and is pursuing a degree in foreign languages and literatures.




· Francesca Petrillo of Poughquag, N.Y., has received the Angela Gajarsa Scholarship. Petrillo attends the University of Tampa and is pursuing a degree in exercise physiology.




· Domenico Pietromonaco of New Hyde Park, N.Y., has received the NIAF Jim Cantalupo Scholarship. Pietromonaco attends Fordham University and is pursuing a degree in business accounting affairs.




· Natalie Ricci of New York, N.Y., has received the NIAF Maaco Enterprises Inc. Scholarship. Ricci attends Columbia University and is pursuing a master’s degree in public health with a certificate in health policy.




· Gabrielle Rockwell of Endicott, N.Y., has received the NIAF Jim Cantalupo Scholarship. Rockwell attends Nazareth College of Rochester and is pursuing a degree in Italian and International Studies.




· Jennifer Ryan of Liverpool, N.Y., has received the NIAF Jim Cantalupo Scholarship. Ryan attends Villanova University and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

Students from New Jersey:

· Caroline Bilotti of Spring Lake, N.J., has received the Filomena J. Peloro Scholarship. Bilotti attends SUNY Fredonia and is pursuing a degree in biology with a minor in photography.




· Jessica Isgro of Morris Plains, N.J., has received the Caroline Guarini Memorial Scholarship. Isgro attends Columbia University Teachers College and is pursuing a master’s degree in arts administration.




· Justin Juliano of Ocean City, N.J., has received the NIAF JimCantalupo Scholarship. Juliano attends Cabrini College and will graduate with a degree in business management and dual minors in accounting and mathematics.



· Daniel Malinconico of New Egypt, N. J., has received the Antonio and Felicia Marinelli Scholarship. Malinconico attends the University of Hawaii and is pursuing a master’s degree in American Studies.



· Marco Salerno of Princeton Junction, N.J., has received the Filomena J. Peloro Scholarship. Salerno attends Columbia University-Mailman School of Public Health and is pursuing a master’s degree in public health.


Students from Connecticut:

· Bryce Ciccaglione of Milford, Conn., has received the NIAF Jim Cantalupo Scholarship. Ciccaglione attends the University of Connecticut - Storrs and is pursuing a degree in finance.



· Martina Costagliola of Shelton, Conn., has received the NIAF Intel Scholarship. Costagliola attends Swarthmore College and is pursuing a degree in computer science.