The highlight of the June 2, 2021 meeting of the Italian American Chamber of Commerce of Michigan (IACCM) was the presentation of the 2021 scholarships.  This year eighteen submissions were received and thirteen scholarships were awarded, totaling $13,000. 

The main source of funding for the scholarships is a golf outing held annually.  Even though the outing was cancelled for 2020, the IACCM found a way to maintain its commitment to the program. The Honorable Joseph Toia, Macomb County Circuit Court, has been chairman of the IACCM Scholarship Committee for the past twenty years.  

During the presentation Judge Toia stated that in addition to all of the scholastic and extracurricular accomplishments demonstrated by the applicants, he is impressed by the essays submitted describing what their Italian heritage means to them.  He read excerpts from several essays, and shared this quote from Dominic Lucido, who wrote, “Being Italian is a lifestyle, not a nationality.” 

The Judge Lido Bucci award is the highest annual award granted to the most outstanding applicant each year.  The winner of this $1500 award for 2021 is Carlina Galli.  This year for the first time a President’s Award was established because there was an additional candidate the judges wanted to recognize after the budget was exhausted.  Judge Toia appealed to the president, who approved the award in line with his privileges.  The winner of the 2021 President’s Award is Sara Loria. 

The other winners are Leyna Gatti, Dominic Lucido, Gianna Agosta, Juliana Varanelli, Dianna Palazzolo, Isabella Pine, Luca Varanelli, Hanna Wilking, Alexa Minoletti, Giancarlo Maue, and Andrea Loria. 

Scholarship awards are presented to outstanding students with excellent academic achievements as well as community and athletic accomplishments.  To be eligible to apply and compete for a scholarship, applicants must meet all the following criteria: A) Applicants must be of Italian ancestry. B) Applicants must be graduating high school seniors, or full-time undergraduate students attending an accredited college or university and working toward a two or four year degree. C) High school applicants must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. College/university applicants must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.