Anthony Spetrino Scholarship
About the Scholarship
The Anthony Spetrino Scholarship was established in 2007 and supports the student who achieves the highest grade in his/her Junior year in the primary language of study with a GPA at the Dean's List Level. The scholarship will be awarded after junior grades are received.
Current Student Recipients
Madison Mobilia '21
Hometown: Newtown, MA
Major: English
"I love the opportunities available to Sacred Heart students. I am involved in my local community through the volunteer work that I do at John Winthrop Elementary School in Bridgeport. I also help clean up the streets of Bridgeport with my friends and peers. Everyone is so friendly including the professors and staff. Everyone wants you to achieve greatness, and the rumors are true...everyone does hold the doors for each other!
I have declared English as my major and Italian as my minor and am enrolled in the Isabelle Farrington College of Education to receive my Masters Degree in Secondary Education. My goal is to teach high school, and maybe one day go on to get my Doctorate and become a Professor. The 5 year program at Sacred Heart is what initially drew me to this University.
At Sacred Heart I am involved in Greek Life. I am a Kappa Delta, and we work with The Girl Scouts multiple times a year. The activities we do with the girls are all about empowering the minds of young women, and teaching them that confidence is something that everyone should have in themselves no matter their background, ethnicity, or religion. I have also participated in the Study Abroad Program, and spent a semester in Rome, Italy. I was fortunate enough to also travel to 11 other countries besides Italy with some of my best friends from Sacred Heart. It was truly a life changing experience. Additionally, I am apart of Clean2Restore, Italian Club, and the Alumni Association Clubs. All of the above have helped me grow as a person, make wonderful new friends, and continue to involve me further into the Sacred Heart Community.
I am extremely thankful for receiving this scholarship. This scholarship helps me achieve my goals of continuing my education, service work and personal growth. With this scholarship I intend to continue reaching for new opportunities and make the most of what little time I have left at the best college ever!"
Alissa Rodrigues '22
Hometown: Naugatuck, CT
Major: Biology
"What I love the most about being a member of the SHU community is how open and respectful everyone is of one another. If you are walking through the halls there is always someone giving you a smile or someone holding the door open for you. You’re never alone and there are always so many activities that keep us involved and close together as a community in which you meet so many amazing people and make lasting friendships.
My professional goal is to become a physician assistant. My biology major has helped me learn about different body systems and how they work together as well as certain chemical compounds and how they interact with different organisms and other chemicals. This will all be helpful to understand how different medications that I prescribe to my patients will work together to treat them. Furthermore, my Spanish minor will help me build on my foreign language skills for me to speak to patients who do not speak English and it can also open many opportunities for me to travel to other countries and treat people.
Outside of the classroom I enjoy volunteering for the local Portuguese community and participating within my culture as well as volunteering for school events such as food drives for the Bridgeport community, I also enjoy dedicating my time to my job as a CNA at a local nursing home in which I’m able to care for the elderly as well as gain experience for my future career. I also enjoy participating in the physician assistant club and the health science club at SHU.
I would like to thank you for awarding me this scholarship. I am so very thankful for your generous gift because with your help it relieves some of the burden and stress of how I will be able to pay for my tuition this year. In turn I can be more focused on studying and spend less time worrying about the expenses. With your help I will be able to manage my work and school more effectively. Thank you once again for your generosity and for making this possible."
Jennifer Rodrigues '22
Hometown: Naugatuck, CT
Major: Biology
"The part that I love the most about SHU and being a member of the SHU community is the sense of family, compassion, and unity that is consistently promoted not only throughout the campus life activities, but also by the professors and students who truly believe in SHU's mission statement.
My professional goals include pursuing a career in medicine as a Physician Assistant (PA). In hopes to achieve this goal, I am currently studying biology in preparation to have a solid scientific background before going onto to further my education at the master's level. In addition to my biology major, I decided to declare a minor in Spanish to increase my communication abilities to better serve my future patients and be a true advocate for their care.
The experiences I enjoy the most outside the classroom include the activities held by the students events team (SET), the Pre-PA club, the Health Science club, and being a SWEET peer educator. I am also an active volunteer and truly enjoy giving me back to my community.
I am truly thankful for having received this scholarship because this gift embodies the SHU spirit of compassion and giving back to the community. This gift makes my future goals more financially possible and the appreciation felt upon receiving the scholarship is the way I wish to make not only the people closest to me feel, but also my future patients as well - the feeling that someone wants to help you in the best way they can. Thank you very much for your support."
Geraldo Torres '22
Hometown: Ponce, Puerto Rico
Major: Communications
"I love the friendly atmosphere the campus has and being able to be yourself without really having to worry about judgment from other people. At the end of the day my goal is to appear in the end credits of a major movie, but that is way down the line first I have to graduate and find a steady job so I can start working towards that goal. I love the activities SHU holds for its students and I plan on joining a club sport this new semester.
A huge thanks to the person that donated to create this scholarship! I feel like he knows how much this means, but still it means so much, especially to me who has been looking for any extra dollar I can get to help pay for my studies. Since I'm technically studying abroad due to the fact that I live in Puerto Rico I have many more expenses from traveling back home and transportation."
Past Student Recipient
Sarah Riccio '19
Hometown: Newtown, CT
Major: Mathematics
"Being part of the SHU community is such a blessing because of the true kindness and empathy students and faculty have for each other, and the citizens of the surrounding area. Everyone is so driven to give back to the community and to give to others, and it inspires me every day to be a better version of myself, and to use my talents to make a change. I love seeing others' creativity when they give back, and how they use their specific talents to help propel others forward.
I plan to become a bilingual educator and work in an urban school setting. I believe in the importance of teaching children using their multicultural backgrounds to strengthen their connections between school and the outside world. Language, being a main part of culture, is a gift, and the ability to be bilingual is truly an advantage students have. Having a minor in Spanish has allowed me to speak, write, and read in a language that is becoming more and more common in America, but more importantly, has helped me discover both the beauty and the struggle that Latinos face both in their countries and as an immigrant in America. Community service is my main focus at Sacred Heart. I had the opportunity to do a week of service going into my freshman year of college, and was introduced to a k-8 school in Bridgeport. I have volunteered my time in both first grade and kindergarten classrooms there for the past four years, and spend four days a week there currently, teaching both bilingual and non-bilingual students.
Thank you for your scholarship celebrating language! I am so grateful to have help paying for an education that I could not be more blessed to have. This scholarship reminds me that my hard work in school, my passion for language and other cultures, and my dedication to my community does not go unseen. Celebrating another language helps bring different groups together, which makes life so much more vibrant. I could not be more thankful for this scholarship."
Donate
To make a donation to the Anthony Spetrino Scholarship, make checks payable to Sacred Heart University and mail to:
Sacred Heart University
University Advancement
5151 Park Avenue
Fairfield, CT 06825