When 21-year-old Charles Poveromo was applying to college, he knew tuition costs wouldn't be cheap. But when he toured Wagner College on Grymes Hill as a Tottenville High School student, he learned of the DaVinci Scholarship -- given to an Italian-American student each year by the DaVinci Society of Wagner College.

"I probably wouldn't be at Wagner if it wasn't for the scholarship," he said. "It was such a weight off my shoulder. I was seriously concerned about being able to go to school. I'm grateful for what they've done for me."