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Benvenuti Paisanos! ~ Welcome Friends!
ATTENZIONE!
PUNTI CULMINANTI ~ HIGHLIGHTS
…Presenting our 2009 Scholarship Winners!
Samuel J. Amelio, PRESIDENT Wayne Piccin & Justin R. Salerno
By Pat Pitula, Amici Scholarship Chair
We’re pleased to announce and congratulate two 2009 graduates –
Samuel J. Amelio
of Plainfield (Plainfield South HS) and
Justin R. Salerno of Aurora (Waubonsie
Valley HS) – as recipients of our 2nd annual college scholarship
competition. Each winner received a $500 cash award at a pot luck & wine
dinner held in June.
It turns out that our selected winners actually met before our
recognition evening – at a dinner where each received another award, the
prestigious Ted Farrell Illinois Mortgage Brokers Association
Scholarship! So in a sense, they were already “amici” by the time we
presented our scholarship!
That award isn’t the only thing Sam and Justin have in common. Both
winners exhibit a strong concern for others – Sam, through assuming
family responsibilities, a sense of stewardship over his brother’s
autism, as well as keeping sensitivity toward others with disabilities
in mind as he plans his chemical engineering career path; and Justin, by
using his unbelievable story of lifelong threatening hardships and
dynamic media skills to become a mentor and advocate for countless young
people undergoing cancer treatment.
Scholarship recipients who best satisfy committee specified merit-only
criteria are chosen from among qualifying Naperville area high school
senior applicants of Italian descent who will attend college the
following fall. We found Sam and Justin to be most deserving candidates.
Read more about this year’s winners below.
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Sam Amelio
“Keeping sensitivity toward
others with disabilities in mind as he plans his chemical engineering
career path.”
 Love of family, strong faith in God, and value of hard work are
strengths that
Sam Amelio credits to his Italian heritage regarding
accomplishments that have already earned him recognition in “a confusing
world” as he carves his way through life’s early challenges.
Through his scholarship essay, Sam demonstrated how these values emerged
over recent generations to lend personal meaning in his life and cited
qualities that reflected in his credentials.
In addition to ranking within the top 5% of his class, completing 9 AP
classes with honors (in fact the only one who scored the highest
possible score of 5 on AP chemistry and history tests at his school!)
and entering college with a total of 53 course credits, Sam’s academic
awards at Plainfield South included Illinois State Scholar, AP Scholar
with Distinction, Allstate Academic Team, Top 5% High Honor Roll
throughout high school, Lettered in Soccer and played all four years
including play-offs, Top 25 Award, and Presidential Scholar.
His enthusiastic teachers highly recommended Sam as “arguably one of the
most analytic thinkers,” as English teacher John K. Miller stated, and
showing “maturity beyond his years” and “obvious love of
learning…combined with a drive to succeed,” according to social studies
teacher Robert Miller.
Sam displayed a keen sensitivity through his Amici application, making
particular mention of his effort to seek scholarship help to assist his
family financially in offsetting costs already felt by expensive therapy
for his autistic brother and other siblings’ college expenses.
Sam’s extracurricular involvement was divided among soccer in spring,
summer camp; Youth Alive (Interdenominational Christian Group), church
youth group leader; and Math Team throughout high school. Academic
extracurricular activities included first place in Probabilities through
Math Team and and Wyse Test participant (civics and chemistry contests).
Sam also takes home scholarship awards from Plainfield Rotary Club, Ted
Farrell Illinois Mortgage Brokers Assn., Plainfield Women of the Moose,
Plainfield HS Diona Garcia Athletic Scholarship, IIT Heald Scholarship,
IIT College Scholarship, and a Work Study Program to help pay for his
higher education.
Sam has a special interest in working with disability causes because of
his brother who is autistic, and has worked in fundraising for Special
Olympics as well as Cure Autism Now. He also assisted in special needs
functions at school events.
Sam plans to major in chemical engineering at Illinois Institute of
Technology, beginning this fall. He views the profession as a means to
derive clean water supplies, work with energy issues, and develop new
materials, and considers it “beyond words to use math and science to
develop even more helpful ways to improve lives.” 
Within that in mind, Sam has a special interest in Engineers Without
Borders, which helps underdeveloped countries with water supplies. Sam’s
own interest in deriving clean water supplies potentially comes into
play through this organization because his brother’s autism has inspired
him to develop assistive devices that would help the disabled.
On a recent visit to sign up for classes this fall at IIT, staff members
impressed with Sam’s credentials were quick to suggest that he apply to
work as a lab assistant in biofields coal gasification department this
fall. Watch for updates on Sam’s future on the highlights page over the
next academic year.
Justin Salerno
“Using his unbelievable story of lifelong threatening hardships and
dynamic media skills to become a mentor and advocate for countless young
people undergoing cancer treatment.”
 Fortitude may be the single biggest virtue that drives
Justin Salerno to
achieve a limitless future but it’s certainly not the only one for this
amazing recipient of our scholarship competition.
Allison Parise, pediatric oncology nurse for Bear Necessities Pediatric
Cancer Foundation, wrote a recommendation on Justin’s behalf, calling
this winner “one of my personal heroes and a mentor to many.”
Justin’s experience with personal tragedy and challenges supported by
strong Italian family ties triumphed into academic achievement and
character building that has uniquely earned recognition in a way that
surpasses his young age. He figured out how to use Italian family values
to turn challenges into inspirational blessing.
His essay told how Italian traditions combined with the journey
experienced by this three-time cancer survivor influenced Justin to
become the young man who deserved our scholarship recognition this year.
Justin understandably exhibits a “zest for life,” as business teacher
Steven Penley points out, and his appreciation for it reflects lengthy
accomplishments.
He made high honor roll and Indian Prairie Scholar all four years while
taking honors level courses at the top 10% of his Waubonsie Valley HS
class. Justin also received the following awards and honors: Spirit of
the Warrior (FR); WVHS freshman letter, wrestling; WVHS Varsity letter,
wrestling, & All Academic All-Conference Honors (SO, JR, SR); Illinois
State Scholar, International Student Ambassador; and “Evening With the
Stars Award” (FR award & SR nomination), where Mr. Penley personally
honored Justin for his courage during the banquet dinner.
Other recognition includes 2006 State of Illinois Hearing Advocate of
the Year Award; Comcast Leaders and Achievers Award; 2009 Prudential
Spirit of Community Finalist; President Bush Call to Service Award;
guest radio personality (JR); Kohl’s Caring for Kids Regional Award
Winner; and Italian American Hero Award.
Justin’s interests and educational decisions are channeled toward major
sports marketing, advertising, and media production. In high school, he
was executive television producer of Warrior Update, a weekly interview
show highlighting accomplishments of the school’s various sports teams.
Other in-school and extracurricular activities included a blend of
sports related and other involvement: wrestling (FR, then Varsity SO,
JR, SR) & team camp (SO); golf Jr. Varsity (JR) & 18-hole Jr. golf
league, Stonebridge CC (all 4 years); Young Life (all 4 years); various
church activities including youth groups at Ginger Creek Community
Church; Stonebridge Sharks swim team member (FR, SO, JR); and Shining
Stars Senior Advisor (for kids battling cancer).
Justin performed significant community service for Bear Necessities
Pediatric Cancer Foundation, Shining Stars Foundation, Feed My Starving
Children, Hesed House, and Relay for Life.
In March, Justin represented 50 pediatric cancer patients as their
senior mentor in Aspen for Shining Stars, and explained why it was “one
of the best experiences I ever had.” His trip departed Chicago with six
kids suffering from cancer and a doctor, whom he assisted in providing
moral support en route to relieve the kids’ fears. At the event, Justin
was a role model to demonstrate hope that there’s life and that you can
still have fun after cancer.
As spokesman for Bear Necessities since the age of 9, he raised $20,000
at one golf tournament event for cancer survivors. His remarkable
reaching out to others marks Justin as a true standout whose gratitude
for his own survival will never be forgotten.
As mentioned earlier in this article, Justin met Sam when both received
their Ted Farrell Illinois Mortgage Brokers Association Scholarship
awards. Additionally, Justin won these scholarships to offset his
college education costs: Comcast Leaders and Achievers; Marianjoy; Wipe
Out Kids Cancer; Stacy Blundell; JAJ Memorial Gift; Sgt. David Caruso;
and Stephanie Joseph Memorial Fund.
Justin’s most recent award was the Bob Jahn Memorial Wrestling
Scholarship. Following that presentation, he was invited to attend its
fundraising golf outing event in honor of the deceased wrestling coach.
Justin focuses his energy on preparing for his future in business and
sports marketing through real life experiences. He carefully chose
Arizona State University for its strong marketing program and practical
experience through its relationships with all four professional sports
teams in Phoenix as well as PGA tour events and annual BCS bowl game – a
path Justin views as key to his ultimate professional goal.
His freshman course load will include public speaking, communications,
economics and marketing. Justin has already been guaranteed a summer
internship with ESPN in Bristol, CT during his junior year. Tracking his
college career promises to be interesting.
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