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Scholarship winners honour Italian culture and heritage

TORONTO, Sept. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Toronto’s registered charity and non-profit organization Villa Charities is excited to announce the winners of its fifth annual national scholarship program for post-secondary undergraduate and graduate students. The 2024 Villa Charities Scholarship Program launched in May and was open to students of any heritage who help further Villa Charities’ mission of enriching lives through experiences and services that honour Italian culture and heritage.

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“I am thrilled to celebrate the fifth year of the scholarship program and to see the overwhelming response the program has received,” said Marco DeVuono, President and CEO, Villa Charities Inc. “Each of the 2024 scholarship recipients have demonstrated an impressive commitment to their academic studies and also submitted heartwarming essays that clearly expressed the importance of how they support Villa Charities’ mission. I am proud that we can support these exceptional students in their future academic endeavours.”

The Villa Charities Scholarship Program includes a total of 23 scholarships valued at $42,000. Eight scholarships are awarded through Villa Charities Foundation in support of undergraduate and graduate-level studies in a variety of disciplines. The remaining fifteen scholarships are awarded through George Brown College in Toronto, in support of students pursuing a degree in Architectural Studies or Culinary Arts. Five students received The Villa Charities Renzo Pillon Memorial Scholarship, and ten students were recipients of the Villa Charities & Eataly Italian Culinary Program Scholarship. Since launching the scholarship program in 2020, $252,000 in scholarships has been awarded to students.

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Villa Charities announced the eight winners of their Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships today.

Villa Charities Undergraduate Student Scholarship Recipients
Four awards of $1,000 were presented to the following full-time Undergraduate students:

• Chiara Emanuela Di Fonzo, University of Western Ontario
• Julian Mauro Gentile, University of Toronto

• Juliana Claire Ricciuti, Queen’s University
• Angelica Vecchiato, University of Toronto

Villa Charities Graduate Student Scholarship Recipients
Four awards of $2,000 were presented to the following full-time Graduate students:

• Giancarlo Francesco Beltrame, York University
• Tiziana Bontempo, Queen’s University
• Guido D’Elia, York University
• Joseph Rovetti, University of Western Ontario

These scholarships were awarded by Villa Charities Foundation to students who are registered, full-time students at an accredited college or university, Canadian citizens or have permanent-residence status, and are enrolled for the 2024/2025 academic year. Eligible students were required to demonstrate leadership through community involvement or volunteering, maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher as well as write a submission essay describing how they helped further Villa Charities’ mission.

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Excerpts from two of the scholarship recipients are included below.

As my next step, I will complete a European internship this summer, including what will be my first visit to Italy since childhood. I am also eager to present at the International Conference on Cognitive Science in Venice. In these and other ways, I aspire to make a positive impact with my work and enrich the lives of Italians, honouring the ancestors who paved a path for my success.
– Joseph Rovetti, Graduate Scholarship Recipient

From my days at the Columbus Centre and at my nonna’s house to my time at the University of Toronto, integrating my Italian heritage into everyday life has become a mission for me. I hope, with the help of Villa Charities, to continue to diffuse the pride of my Italian heritage in my community. Not only do I intend to preserve my Italian heritage, but I intend to use it for the enrichment of others now – and for generations to come.
– Angelica Vecchiato, Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient

The selection and adjudication process were conducted by the Villa Charities Scholarship Awards Selection Committee. Scholarships awarded through Villa Charities Foundation will support the students’ tuition fees for the 2024/2025 academic year.

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For more information about the Villa Charities Scholarship Program, please visit villacharities.com/scholarships or contact Lena Ciccotelli, Director of Development, Villa Charities Foundation at 416-789-7011, ext. 321 / lciccotelli@villacharities.com.

There are also opportunities to name a scholarship through sponsoring or alternate funding.

About Villa Charities Inc.
Villa Charities Inc. (VCI) is a registered charity and non-profit organization that enriches lives through experiences and services that honour Italian culture and heritage. For more than 50 years across the GTA, Villa Charities has provided cultural and educational programs and supported culturally sensitive long-term care and independent living apartments for seniors. VCI fulfills their mandate through a broad range of activities, services and facilities, both directly and in conjunction with its affiliates and independent organizations. Affiliates include Columbus Centre and Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery; Villa Colombo Homes for the Aged Inc. in Toronto; Villa Colombo Seniors Centre (Vaughan) Inc. Di Poce Centre; and Italian Canadian Benevolent Seniors Apartments Corporation/Casa Abruzzo Benevolent Corporation with apartments for independent seniors (Caboto Terrace, Casa Del Zotto and Casa Abruzzo). Each of these organizations is an integral part of the Villa Charities family with separate legal status and its own governance Board. Villa Charities has been certified as a Great Place to Work^® and named on the 2024 Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back list, which recognize the organization’s commitment to creating an inclusive and positive workplace with a strong community focus. For more information visit villacharities.com.

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About Villa Charities Foundation
Villa Charities Foundation supports experiences and services that honour Italian culture and heritage. As the charitable arm of Villa Charities, the Foundation provides crucial funding for areas such as senior care, youth services, education and scholarships, cultural programming, and capital needs. For more information, visit villacharities.com/give.

For further information, please contact:

Sierra LeBlanc
MAVERICK Public Relations
647-405-2196
sierra@wearemaverick.com

Kathleen Sloan, CM
Director, Marketing and Communications
Villa Charities Inc.
416-789-7011 Ext. 309
ksloan@villacharities.com

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