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AMICI Naperville Area Italian American Club
is a non-profit organization for those wishing
to enhance the appreciation of Italian
heritage and culture, as well as
to support fellow members on
a personal, professional
and social basis.



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.

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.