The Frank Finocchiaro Memorial Scholarship Essay Contest judging took place on April 8, 2017. The judges reviewed 105 essays submitted by students from, Benedictine Military School, St. Vincent's Academy and Bethesda Academy, plus the 11 Savannah-Chatham County Public High Schools.

The Italian Society of Savannah, to cherish the memory of Frank Finocchiaro, a founding member and Benedictine alumnus, will present a $1,000 scholarship, applicable toward school tuition, to each of these students. The winners will be presented with their awards at the school award assemblies in mid-May. Essays were written about a widely diverse range of people from Enzo Ferrari to Maria Montessori as well as Leonardo da Vinci and Mario Batali.

We are pleased to announce that the winners of The Italian Society of Savannah Frank Finocchiaro Memorial Scholarship Essay Contest for 2017 are:

Benedictine Military School

- Gavin Lambert - Franco Modigliani: Revolutionizing the Financial World

- David Macchi - Giovanni Pico: The Most Famous 'Unknown' Italian 

St. Vincent's Academy

- Alana Lanser - Renato Dulbecco 

Bethesda Academy

- Daniel Pohl - Ferruccio Lamborghini 

Savannah Arts Academy

- Seth Holland - The Impact of Roman Aqueducts on Western Civilization

- Isabella Dobbins - The Italian Influence on Jazz 

We wish to thank the English teachers at all the schools who encouraged strong participation, which helped produce numerous, inspiring essays about the contributions of people of Italian descent to the development of Western Civilization.