Congratulations are in order for Vincent Lepani, a student at Susan Wagner High School, Thea Akhrass and Colleen Bridgman from St. Joseph Hill Academy, and Emma Padula of Curtis High School, who were each awarded $2,000 scholarships during the Italian Club of Staten Island Foundation’s annual dinner at Bocelli Ristorante, Grasmere. 

Michael Anicito, chairman of the scholarship program, noted the Italian Club received more than 20 applications from extremely well deserving students and their families and selecting four was an extremely difficult process. The evening served as one of two flagship events hosted by the time honored charitable organization and marked the first public event in which Italian Club members participated since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.