Suffolk Reporter

Senator Mario R. Mattera of the 2nd Senate District has issued a reminder to all students regarding the approaching deadline to apply for scholarships from the New York Conference of Italian American State Legislators. The deadline for applications is set for Friday, March 15, with four scholarships of $3,000 each up for grabs, divided equally between academic and athletic categories.

In a statement, Senator Mattera expressed his enthusiasm for the scholarship program, stating, "I am proud to work with my colleagues in the New York Conference of Italian American State Legislators to offer this opportunity to our young leaders and hope all will apply. This is a great program for high school seniors and college students who have worked hard, distinguished themselves, and are intent on pursuing higher education to lead our state forward."

The scholarships are available to residents of the 2nd Senate District who are either current college students or high school seniors preparing to enter college. Interested students can access and complete the application online on the organization's website.

Applicants are required to have a grade point average of 85 or higher, demonstrate active participation in community service and extracurricular activities, show financial need, and for those applying for an athletic scholarship, be engaged in organized sports. Importantly, applicants do not need to be of Italian American heritage to be eligible.

The recipients of the scholarships will be announced in April, and the successful candidates will be recognized at a ceremony in Albany. The New York Conference of Italian American State Legislators, a bipartisan group of state Assembly and Senate members, is dedicated to actively promoting and celebrating the Italian American community within the state.

Interested students are encouraged to submit their applications before the upcoming deadline to be considered for this valuable scholarship opportunity.