AMHS Scholarship Winners: Where Are They Now?

Arthur DeFelice, 2003 Scholarship Recipient
Arthur DeFelice received his AMHS scholarship in 2003 while attending George Washington University where he pursued a dual major in Political Science and Criminal Justice. He graduated in 2006 and has since built an impressive academic and professional career. After completing his JD at Roger Williams University School of Law in 2010, Arthur continued his education, earning a Master’s Degree in Defense and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College in 2023.
Arthur currently works as a state prosecutor in Rhode Island and serves as a JAG Officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, balancing his commitment to justice and national defense.
In addition to his academic achievements, Arthur has maintained a strong connection to his Italian heritage. Thanks to his brother, Arthur and his siblings have all successfully obtained Italian citizenship. Now, he plans to register his young children as citizens, ensuring that the next generation can enjoy the same connection to Italy.
In the next five years, he hopes to visit Italy with his wife and children, introducing them to the country that has played such a pivotal role in his family’s history and immersing his family in the Italian culture and traditions that he holds dear.

Arthur DeFelice and his wife at a wedding they attended in Rhode Island.

John Scianimanico, Fall 2011 Scholarship Recipient
John Scianimanico received his AMHS scholarship in Fall 2011 while studying at American University where he pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a minor in Italian Language and Culture, graduating in May 2013. During his academic journey, the scholarship enabled him to have a life-changing experience at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy. There, he studied European history and translation studies while living alongside Italian students. This arrangement significantly improved his Italian language skills and deepened his appreciation for the culture. Being in the Emilia Romagna region, known as a global food capital, was a bonus to the richness of his time abroad. Since this experience, John has made a personal commitment to return to Italy often to explore other regions and maintain his language proficiency.

Currently, John works in education policy for the Connecticut State Department of Education and serves as a reservist with the United States Navy, which has sparked his interest in deploying to Europe and deepening multilateral engagement on national security issues. He sees this work as a meaningful opportunity to serve his country while collaborating with Italians and other NATO partners.
Looking forward, John hopes to keep strong ties to Italy through both personal and professional avenues. He is grateful to the AMHS community for the international experience he received through the scholarship program and to mentors like Ranieri Cavaceppi who invested in his linguistics training throughout his time at the American University.

John Scianimanico enjoying a visit to Sorrento, Italy.

Mattia D’Affuso, 2013 Scholarship Recipient
Mattia D’Affuso was awarded the AMHS scholarship in 2013 to support his studies in both Voice Performance and Italian Language and Literature at James Madison University. With his passion for both music and his Italian heritage, Mattia furthered his education by completing a Master’s Degree in Music Performance and Education in Voice at the University of Tennessee. His Italian roots run deep. His mother and much of his extended family still reside in Italy, and he has visited multiple times since receiving his scholarship. Mattia returned in September 2024 to spend time with his family and to travel across the country.
In addition to his musical background, Mattia has built a thriving career in real estate over the past nine years. Currently, he serves as Vice President at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in Washington, D.C., and sits on the Young Professionals Board of the Washington National Opera, Bravo.
Looking ahead to the next five years, Mattia plans to further his career with Sotheby’s International Realty, continuing to grow his presence as a leading residential real estate agent. Alongside his professional goals, he hopes to explore other countries in the coming years, expanding his global experiences beyond Italy.

Mattia D’Affuso for Sotheby’s International Realty in Washington, D.C.

Christina Iovino, 2013 & 2015 Scholarship Recipient
Christina Iovino was the recipient of AMHS scholarships in both 2013 and 2015. They supported her studies at the University of Virginia where she graduated in 2017 with a double major in Foreign Affairs and Italian Studies. One of the most transformative experiences during her time at UVA was studying abroad in Siena, Italy, where she lived with a host family. Christina describes this stay as the greatest experience of her life, because it taught her so much about her heritage and how important it is to her. The immersion in Italian culture was a formative experience that she carries with her every day.
Since graduating, Christina has lived in Nashville, Tennessee, where she works in business management within the music industry. While she does not use her Italian language skills daily, her time abroad helped her gain the confidence to navigate different cities and embrace new challenges. She hopes to return to Italy soon to visit her host family, and she is always on the lookout for ways to practice Italian in her current city.
Looking towards the next five years, Christina is exploring the possibility of obtaining dual citizenship in Italy. Ideally, she dreams of combining her love for Italy with her passion for the music industry. In the meantime, Christina enjoys sharing travel recommendations with friends and eagerly counts down the days until her next trip to Italy.

Christina Iovino in Dublin, Ireland.

Kathryn Donati, 2018 Scholarship Recipient
Kathryn Donati received her AMHS scholarship in 2018 while studying abroad in Perugia as a junior at William & Mary University, where she graduated in 2020 with a B.A. in English Literature and Italian Cultural Studies. The time she spent in Italy left a lasting impact because she has remained close with her homestay family and friends, even reuniting with her flat mates in Chicago in 2021 and keeping their “sorellas per sempre” group chat active. Kathryn also makes an annual trip to New York to attend the San Gennaro Festival, a tradition dear to her since she moved out of Brooklyn.
This August, Kathryn returned to Italy for a family wedding in Avella, continuing to explore her deep connection to her heritage. She recently published her thesis and graduated with an M.A. in English from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently working as a copywriter and plans to apply for PhD programs in English Literature to allow her to combine her passions for teaching and reading as a literature professor.
In the next five years, Kathryn hopes to live in Italy again while working, exploring, and, of course, eating! She also dreams of raising her future children to be bilingual in English and Italian, because she has found such joy and connection to her heritage through her study of Italian language and culture and cannot wait to pass that on to the next generation.

Kathryn Donati on the steps of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia, wearing her Italian graduation laurel wreath for her graduation from VCU with her MA.

Thomas Ronan, 2019 Scholarship Recipient
Thomas Ronan received his AMHS scholarship in 2019 while pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Italian and Global Medieval Studies at Georgetown University where he graduated in Spring 2023. He grew up spending summers visiting family in Bergamo, Italy, his mother’s hometown.
In Fall 2021, he studied at the University of Bologna through the Brown-in-Bologna program, which gave him the privilege of studying Dante’s Divine Comedy under renowned Dante scholar Giuseppe Ledda. He completed his honors thesis in Italian on Dante’s reasoning for including peculiar similarities between the characters Cato and Matilda in Purgatorio, which had not previously been discussed in scholarship. The summer of 2023 marked another milestone, as Thomas underwent the sacraments of initiation into the Roman Catholic Church, surrounded by his family in Bergamo.
Recently, Thomas returned from a year teaching English in rural Nara, Japan, and has moved back to Memphis, Tennessee, where he lived until he was 8 years old. He is working as a Legal Fellow at The Works, Inc., a community development corporation, where he assists attorneys with anti-blight litigation and neighborhood revitalization projects, including their community land trust initiative in the historic Klondike neighborhood in North Memphis.
Thomas is now planning to apply to law school. As an attorney, he hopes to make a difference against issues negatively affecting strained communities’ well being.

Thomas Ronan in Shirakawago Village, Gifu Prefecture, Japan

Abby Cuviello, 2020 Scholarship Recipient
Abby Cuviello received the AMHS scholarship in 2020 while studying at the University of Vermont, where she pursued a B.S. in Animal Science with a minor in Zoology. She recently graduated in May 2024 and has been focused on combining her passion for animals and science into a meaningful career. She is also hoping to apply for Italian citizenship as a way of honoring and connecting to her heritage.
Abby’s love for animals is evident in her past role at a summer camp in Vermont, where she managed the camp farm, caring for a variety of animals and helping educate the campers. Following that role, she temporarily moved to Memphis, Tennessee, for an internship doing conservation research at the Memphis Zoo. Abby is in the process of applying for veterinary technician positions in Maryland.
Looking forward, Abby hopes to enter veterinary school within the next five years and to focus on studying conservation and wildlife medicine.

Abby Cuviello’s graduation photo on the campus of the University of Vermont.

Sofia DeLuca, 2023 Scholarship Recipient
Sofia DeLuca was awarded the AMHS scholarship in 2023 while pursuing a major in Political Science and a minor in Italian Language and Literature at George Washington University. She graduated in May 2024 and was able to study abroad in Florence due in part to the scholarship.
While in Italy, Sofia had the opportunity to visit her cousins in Rome, spend time with close family friends in Pistoia, and visit family in Borca di Cadore and Lorenzago di Cadore. Her time abroad deepened her connection to her Italian roots, and she expresses immense gratitude to AMHS for helping her make these memories.
Currently, Sofia is preparing for the next chapter of her academic and professional career by applying to law schools in New York City, with plans to attend in 2025. Before starting law school, Sofia hopes to return to Italy for six to eight months during her gap year, aiming to improve further her Italian language skills and to spend more time with her family in Italy.

Sofia DeLuca at the Jefferson Memorial after her graduation.