Dear Reader,
Rejoice, the “Young People” that leaders of our Italian American fraternal and social associations have been trying to attract to replenish their aging membership are out there and there is hope on the horizon.
There is no denying that many of our young people have drifted away and lost all connection and love for their cultural heritage, but on college campuses the state of Italian clubs is quite healthy and remains a great source of pride and joy to many of our educated and successful young Italian Americans.
I am sharing this “Young People” news with you to give Italian American elders, concerned that our young people do not care about their heritage and that our culture clubs may not survive beyond the next decade, a good reason to take that frown and turn it upside down into a big optimistic smile.
Angela Cannistraci of Saugus, Massachusetts, age 22, Business Major at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Vice President of the SJU Italian Club and daughter of my godson Anthony, along with the following sixteen students was recently honored with induction into the Italian National Honor Society: Rosa Aguanno, Megan Billings, Nicholas Conte, Phillip Dacchille, Maureen Davis, Alessandra DeMarco, Robert DeVecchis, Matthew Genovese, Laura Iannarelli, Jennifer Lubrano, Christina Perri, Amie Porcelli, Stephanie Santoleri, Virginia Szczepanski, Natalie Zequeira Diaz, Gregory Zuar, when the Italian Studies Program and Italian Club of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania held its annual Gamma Kappa Alpha Italian Honor Society induction ceremony.
St. Joseph’s University offers a major and a minor in Italian, with courses in Italian Language, Culture, Literature, Cinema and PA Italian certification. Interest in Italian is high and over 250 students study Italian at St. Joseph’s each year. Paola Giuli, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Italian, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at SJU delivered the Honor Society Induction Ceremony Welcome Address. Alessandra DeMarco, Gamma Kappa Alpha (GKA) National Italian Honor Society Chapter President also welcomed inductees and distinguished guests.
Gamma Kappa Alpha is the only Italian Honor Society in the United States and Canada with over fifty chapters in North America. The GKA was formed to acknowledge superior scholastic performance in the field of Italian language, literature and culture and encourages a deeper understanding of Italian culture and history. The initials GKA represent “Knowledge and Virtue.” Students inducted into Gamma Kappa Alpha acquire knowledge through their rigorous pursuit of excellence in their academics and eligible junior and senior inductees must maintain a minimum 3.0 overall GPA and a minimum B+ average in their Italian courses.
Alessandra concluded her presentation by stating that Leonardo da Vinci wrote in his notebooks “La virtù è vero nostro bene ed è vero premio del suo possessore.” Meaning, “Virtue is for our own good and is truly a prize for its owner.” Members of GKA encompass virtue as shown through their involvement with extra curricular activities, extending their experiences beyond the classroom. Joseph Dacchille, class of 2005, presented an inspirational speech about his successful career as a secondary school Italian teacher as a result of the valuable education he received at St. Joseph’s and the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
Present at the induction ceremony in addition to family and friends of the inductees were distinguished guests: Coccia Foundation Founder Cav. Joseph Coccia, Jr. and his wife Dr. Elda Coccia, Coccia Foundation Student Liaison Phil Sergio and his wife Carol Sergio and Italian Professors Joan Manghisi and Kristen Grimes, of the St. Joseph’s University Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
The Coccia Foundation, a non-profit Family Foundation located in Saddle Brook, NJ, was founded in 1994 by Cavaliere Joseph Coccia, Jr. and his wife Elda. The Coccia Foundation website URL is www.cocciafoundation.org. The Foundation establishes and supports various educational and cultural events for youth of the Italian American community, particularly those organized within institutions of higher learning.
The essential goal of the Foundation is to promote awareness of Italian and Italian American contributions not only to America but to the world and to preserve those “ethical values” for young generations to come, via the creation of scholarships, study abroad programs, cultural events, and establishment of programs to aid young people to enter society with a sense of pride in their heritage and goals to continue the mission of the Foundation as they embark on their adult lives.
The Coccia Foundation has provided a wide range of philanthropic aid to an ever-expanding list of worthy recipients. A short list of those they have supported includes: - In education: State colleges in New Jersey, New York, California, South Carolina and Community colleges in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
- The establishment of Student Italian Clubs in many colleges and universities and networking of same. - Initiated all Italian Book Study Collection
– Distribution to local libraries. - Scholarships, grants, in support of Italian Study Abroad Programs as well as awards for annual achievements.
- Italian Studies Chairs in New Jersey, New York and California.
- Cultural programs through a number of schools and educational foundations. Non-Italian organizations include many children’s causes such as Special Olympics, Hale House, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Rainbows and Neonatal Intensive Care.
Joseph and Elda Coccia realize that Italian culture is in the hands of today’s children and they are working on a cause very near to our hearts: seeking to establish and encourage Italian Student Clubs and promoting the teaching of Italian language, culture and heritage in as many universities and colleges as possible. Cav. Joseph Coccia also served as Unico’s National President and has friends across the U.S.A. from sea to shining sea.
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