The West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival will honor one of its own this year – educator, cultural ambassador, and lifelong supporter of Italian traditions, Professoressa Rose A. Mazza of Bridgeport. Her journey from a small town in Calabria to becoming a distinguished language educator in North Central West Virginia is a story woven with heritage, dedication, and community pride.
Born in San Giovanni in Fiore, Calabria, Italy, Rose Mazza immigrated to the United States at the age of twe12. Her connection to the Italian Heritage Festival began almost by chance. As a sophomore in 1975 at West Virginia University, she received a summer work study placement at the Clarksburg Public Library, where she worked under Merle Moore, the visionary who initiated the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival.
