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2010 Scholarship winner Ann Abate

​​Following is the letter she submitted to the scholarship committee.​​​​​​​​
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My Italian Heritage and Traditions​

Today, while I am not surrounded by the same Italian culture as my father once was, my family and I still follow many of the same traditions.  One of the things that my father has taught me is that family is the most important possession.  Family will always be there like a safety net to catch you when you fall.  Following my Italian heritage, my family is extremely strong and tightly woven.  We are always there for one another, and I know that I can always count on them no matter what the situation.  Every single night we have dinner together, taking about our day and our problems.  My immediate family often hosts holidays, and we invite many friends and relatives over to celebrate.  And of course our table is lined, just like my great-grandmother’s table once was, with tons of food that my mother and I prepared.  We also remain close to our distant friends and distant family, visiting them often.  Notheing is more important than good friends and a strong family.  As my father’s grandparents came to America from Sicily and had to work hard to make a life for themselves in this new country, my father has instilled in me his and their good work ethic.  As a woman, I admire my great-grandmother’s strength and determination as she took care of her family, and I practice every day to demonstrate her fortitude.

Thoughts usually turn to the aroma of rich sauces simmering on the stove, the taste of savory breads and mouth-watering sausages and meatballs, and a kitchen full of women cooking and baking mounds of food when one thinks Italian.  While food p-lays a big role in Italian culture, there is much more to it than cannoli and pasta.  Italians are loving, compassionate people with big hearts who take care of their family and help others in need.

My Italian heritage comes from my father’s side of the family.  My father is proud of his Italian heritage and the Italian genes he received from his father, who came from a large Sicilian family.  Originally from Milan, my ancestors branched into Sicily during the 13th century.  Born in Vita, Sicily in the late 1890s, my grandfather’s parents came to America from Sicily for a better life in 1914, barely able to speak English.  They worked hard in their respective trades, as a tailor and seamstress.  My father always told me stories about going over to his father’s side of the family for holidays, birthdays, and other gatherings.  Family ties are important, so the house was constantly crammed with tons of relatives.  A sweet aroma of fresh pasta sauce always filled the house, and the table was regularly overflowing with different kinds of food.  My father’s grandmother was the head of the family, the matriarch.  A strong woman with a big heart, she would give anything for her family.  She was always in the kitchen cooking for her family or somewhere close by.  My father explained how his family was very close, full of generous but proud people who were always there for each other.

While the smells of fresh garlic bread and pungent tomato sauce occasionally waft through my house, the Italian food is not the only tradition that my family maintains.  Strong family ties and caring for one another are the most important to us.  With a close family, we know that someone will always be there for us.  I take the utmost pride in my Italian heritage as I strive every day to follow the resolve and hard work of my ancestors and care for others as my great-grandmother did.

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