San Mateo Italian-American Social Club Foundation Scholarships

The San Mateo Italian American Social Club Foundation announced eleven winners of its 2012 Scholarship Awards.  Each of the graduating high school seniors was awarded $1,000 cash payable upon college registration.

 

The respective eleven winners are: Grant Cecil and Scott Cecil, twin brothers, of Hillsdale High;  Madeleine Faoro, Micaela Pacini, and Taylor Cattaneo, of Mercy High School;  Matthew Pastore and Antonio Freschet of Junipero Serra High;  Andrew Dobbins of Cardinal Newman High, Santa Rosa;  Braden Knight, Washington High School, Fremont;  Nicholas Zanobini, Jesuit High School, Carmichael; and Marco Fanucchi, of St. Ignatius College Prep.

 

One scholarship has been named in honor of Paula Uccelli of Redwood City, a generous multiple-year donor to the program.  The qualifying criteria for the awards are:  pride in their Italian family cultural heritage, emphasis on academic merit, character, and community service.  The award winners are planning college degrees at various  University of California campuses, California State College Universities, University of Oregon, Santa Clara University , Loyola Marymount University, and Northwestern University. Braden Knight, a top ranked academic performer, will study Mechanical Engineering at M.I.T.

 

The Foundation was able to expand the number of awards from ten to eleven to avoid choosing between the equally qualified Cecil twin brothers thanks to the generosity of major donors.

 

The Scholarship winners and their family members were feted and congratulated at a Peninsula Italian American Social Club gala dinner in San Mateo on Tuesday, June 12th.  Scholarship certificates were presented by Foundation President, Rudy Bertolozzi, with Club President Daniel J. Ferlizza presiding.

 

“These outstanding and diligent young women and young men are proud of their Italian-American family cultural heritage,” said Rudy Bertolozzi, “and we are proud of them, and we feel privileged to support their educational goals”.  This year the 800 member Peninsula Italian American Social Club of San Mateo celebrates its 75th anniversary.