Angela Lastrico Raish 2024 Scholarship Winner
By Liz DiGregorio
Madonnina Gullo is the 2024 recipient of the Angela Lastrico Raish Music Scholarship, a privately endowed fund administered through the AMHS Scholarship Committee.
Ms. Gullo is a rising senior at The Catholic University of America (CUA) Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art, where she majors in Musical Theatre. She is actively involved at her university, where she currently serves as a Resident Assistant and Managing Director of CenterStage, a student-run theater company. She is from New York and has family roots in Sicily.
Madonnina’s application packet sums up her resilience, her work ethic, and her talent. She is dedicated to her studies and has made the Dean’s List every semester. In addition to carrying 18 credits during the application semester, she also held three jobs, and volunteered for campus events. On top of her work schedule and academic studies, she was cast in every CUA musical the last several semesters.
Family is central to Madonnina’s life, and she credits her family members with teaching her the value of hard work, resilience, and the importance of her Sicilian ancestry. Her parents bestowed the name “Madonnina” on her after visiting the Madonnina delle Lacrime Santuario (Little Madonna of the Tears Santuary) in Siracusa, Sicily. Making music is her way of experiencing the Italian culture and honoring her ancestors.
To read about the winners of this year’s AMHS scholarships, click HERE.
Madonnina Gullo’s Letter of Thanks
Dear Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society and the Angela Lastrico Raish Scholarship Committee:
I wish to express my sincere gratitude for choosing me as a recipient of the 2024 Angela Lastrico Raish Scholarship. This award will help me continue to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree of Music in Musical Theatre at The Catholic University of America.
In true Italian fashion, I have always been taught the value of hard work and resilience. My parents and grandparents have been my biggest supporters throughout my life, and never missed a performance of mine. My grandparents have never missed a thing, despite having 19 other grandchildren. They have always expressed the importance of two things: following your passions, and working as hard as you possibly can to achieve them. Throughout my educational career, I have juggled multiple jobs at once to attend my university, all while maintaining a heavy academic schedule.
I have had the opportunity to travel to Italy twice, but my first visit occurred when my mother was expecting me. One of my parents’ favorite cities is Siracusa, Sicily, and that is the place where they found the name they eventually gave me. I spend a lot of time explaining my name: Madonnina, but I do not mind. It gives me a chance to talk about my culture and being named after the Madonnina delle Lacrime of Siracusa. My second trip to Italy happened with my family. During that visit, I was old enough to appreciate how interwoven music and Italian culture are with each other. There is music being performed everywhere: in the streets, in restaurants, and even echoing down alleyways from people’s homes.
I look forward to honoring my ancestors by making music for many years to come. I am thankful for this scholarship’s assistance in reaching my goals of becoming a professional performer, and I will continue to work hard to be deserving of this honor.
Mille Grazie!
Madonnina Gullo
September 2024
