“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
― Margaret Mead
Hello and welcome to my first article of the Fall semester!
As you may remember, last spring I wrote some articles about getting more involved on campus and in the community. My decision to become more involved has greatly improved my mental health and overall well-being and for this reason, I decided to start a mini-series this semester called “Windsor Youth in Action”. This series focuses on the various projects that young people in our region are working on and the impact that each of these projects has, or has had, on our community. Essentially, my goal is to introduce you, my reader, to the young people who are implementing positive changes in the Windsor area along with the numerous events, organizations, and initiatives that exist to hopefully motivate and inspire you in your daily life. Having said that, I would like to kick-off this series by focusing on an initiative that is especially dear to me as the daughter of European immigrants: The Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship.
The Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship aims to provide recipients with the opportunity to pursue a more affordable education while also honouring the many contributions that immigrants have made to the Windsor-Essex community. The Scholarship was founded by Cessidia De Biasio, the granddaughter – and daughter – of Italian immigrants who, like many other first-generation Canadians, moved to Canada in search of a better life for themselves and their children. As a University of Windsor graduate with degrees in Social Work and Commerce, Cessidia is passionate about affordable education and preserving the value of immigration by providing first and second generation Canadians with opportunities that their ancestors may not have had. To learn more about the Scholarship, I asked Cessidia some questions about her experience and what follows is a mere glimpse into the dedication that she has towards this incredible cause.
1. When did you start envisioning the concept of the Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship and how did this vision become a reality?
I started envisioning the concept of The Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship in 2014. Growing up, I always heard about the immigration story of my mom as well as my dad’s parents. My family immigrated from Italy to Canada with nothing. They made the week-long trek on the boat to get to Canada. They did not speak the language, had no help, but somehow managed to get jobs and provide for themselves and create the lives that my siblings and I have today. My parents never let us forget where they came from, and what my parents and grandparents had to go through so that my siblings and I could have the lives we do today. Growing up in Windsor, it’s such a multicultural community. You hear similar stories regardless of what someone’s background is. Everyone knows someone who went through something similar or has their own story where they’re like, “Oh yeah, my family also went through this,” or “My family experienced something similar and had to sacrifice a lot so that they could live the life that they have today.” So, that’s where the inception of the scholarship comes from. My Nonna only had a grade three education, but she came to Canada and was able to make a pretty good life for herself and her family. Same with my dad’s parents. They had a grade three and grade five education, and now I’m able to go to university and get the education they could have only dreamed of.
As a University Student, I also knew what it was like to have to pay for school on my own. University is expensive and there were numerous individuals that I met during my time at the University who had to work multiple jobs, or had large student loans, or had to drop out of classes because they could not afford to pay for school. As a student, I applied for numerous scholarships to help pay for my education, and I know how much that helped me. So, I wanted to pay-it-forward and help other students alleviate some of the financial stresses of University. I want these students to enjoy their University experience and use their education to help those in our community.
So, one day I said, “You know what? This is something I really want to do.” So I spoke with the Director of Student Awards and Financial Aid, Marian Doll, who’s been an amazing support system. She said, “This is the process that you have to go through to create the endowment fund.” I had to get all the legal work done, get the scholarship terms of references created, and start from the ground up. I really started with nothing. Over the past three years, I have worked tirelessly to fundraise on my own. I do this all voluntarily. I have officially reached the first milestone and have fund raised $25,000. This will provide one scholarship to first-or-second generation Canadian University of Windsor students. These students must demonstrate leadership and volunteer both in their school and the Windsor-Essex community. They are giving back to our community, a community our ancestors helps build. My next goal is to raise $40,000 so that we can administer two scholarships each year. I would love to surpass $40,000 and help as many students as possible.
2. Can you tell me a bit more about the Scholarship and the story behind it?
The charity is named after my grandmother, Addolorata De Luca. I started the charity as a way to recognize her story, but it really represents the story of all immigrants and what they had to go through when they came to Canada.
My Nonna Addolorata grew up in an extremely poor family and was able to obtain only a grade three education. When she eventually married, she had five children. However, tragedy was soon to hit because her husband, my grandfather Cessidio who fought in World War II, died. As a widow with five children to take care of, one being a six-month-old daughter (my mother), she knew that she wanted to provide her children with a better life. In the years to come, she saved all her money, which was not much, in order to come to Canada, a country known for its opportunities. As a strong matriarch, she demonstrated her courage and determination by trying selflessly and fearlessly to provide for her family. Whether working long hours picking tomatoes, planting vegetables for local farmers or washing dishes at the Ciociaro Club, she always knew that she had to do whatever it took to provide food and shelter for her children. My mom was the only one to go past high school and I was actually named after my maternal grandfather, Cessidio De Luca.
Similarly, my Nonno Vittorio and Nonna Lucia also immigrated from Italy to Canada. As a World War II veteran, my Nonno endured various hardships and sacrifices during and after the War. He came to Canada alone and sent whatever money he could back to Italy where my Nonna Lucia and aunt were living in hopes that they would one day join him. Once in Canada, my grandparents also worked long hours laying tiles and cleaning houses in order to provide for their children.
Based on these personal stories and stories of other families in Windsor-Essex, I knew I wanted to do something that would honour everyone’s ancestors while also giving back to the Windsor-Essex community, a community that our ancestors helped build. As a result, the premise of the scholarship was born. This scholarship combined my two passions, the need for affordable education and the preservation of our families’ stories by providing future generations with opportunities our ancestors never had. I sincerely believe that no matter your family’s country of origin, we all share something in common; we are all here today thanks to our ancestors who paved the way for us.
3. Since this scholarship aims to support first and second-generation Canadians, in your opinion, what is the most valuable contribution that immigrants make to Canada?
I think that we all have a story to share and each person’s story helps to make our community a more vibrant and beautiful place to live. Without our ancestors, many of us would not be here today. Many of our parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles have sacrificed a lot to come to Canada and build the country that it is today. They brought new ideas, concepts, and inventions to our country. I believe that we need to remember their sacrifices, hardships, and stories and ensure that today’s generation and future generations know about their family’s history and the history of our community.
4. As the granddaughter (and daughter) of Italian immigrants, what are some fundamental lessons that have shaped your life and continue to influence your decisions today?
My family’s journey to Canada has taught me about the importance of hard work, perseverance, and ambition. They have taught me to never give up and to always be thankful. Whenever I am facing a difficult situation, I always think back to what my parents and grandparents went through. I then realize that what I am going through is nothing in comparison to what they had to endure. Being the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants has taught me to dream big and always go for what I believe in. They have also taught me to be generous and help those around me. My parents always instilled in us the importance of giving back to those in our community, whether it is through volunteerism, donating money, or helping in whatever capacity is needed. I believe that our ancestors embody qualities such as ambition, compassion, and selflessness – all of which I hold to the highest regard and try to apply in my everyday life. My family and their story have taught me to dream big.
My objective with this charity is to start a conversation among companies, charities, and the next generation of leaders because I believe that everyone has a role to play in building a strong community and inspiring others to achieve excellence. This goal can only be achieved by pursuing diversity and bringing together a multitude of voices and talents.
5. What would you say has been the greatest challenge for you as a young philanthropist thus far?
My journey to this point has been a lot of work. I have faced a lot of rejection! And by a lot, I mean a lot! Because I don’t have a big name behind me and I’m not an established professional, it takes extra work to prove myself and my charity. There are other groups within the community that have a Rolodex of people they can just call up and say, “Hey! Can you write me a $12,000 cheque?” I, however, am not in that situation. Throughout this process, I have called people, developed relationships with community members, and used existing connections to help fundraise. I think the most difficult part is when people either string you along and say that they or their company will donate, but then never get back to you (even after you follow up) or when individuals or companies never call you back or email you after you have followed up. I think that part hurts the most.
I’ve definitely faced a lot of rejection but it’s taught me to persevere, which is what my grandparents – and many others – had to do. So, it kind of gave me an insight, obviously on a very small scale, into what they had to go through, to face rejection and just keep pushing forward to get to the end goal that you really want to achieve.
6. Similarly, what has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?
I’ve met a lot of great people, a lot of very inspiring individuals here in the Windsor-Essex community. Cierra Bray of CGal Media helped to create my charity’s website and has been a huge supporter of the scholarship from day one. She is an amazing event coordinator and helped to organize our community appreciation event. Marissa Bumanlag has been an amazing advocate and volunteer for the charity. She is always looking at ways for the charity to get involved in the community and has been a great help! It is also really nice to have individuals who want to donate, who are very well-known in the community but want to remain anonymous. Because I understand that, from the business point of view, you need to market yourself as a business and say, ‘Okay, well this is how we’re giving back and getting recognition for it.’ But it’s also really nice to see individuals who are still willing to help you but don’t want to publicize it. They just want to do it because they believe in the message of the charity, and they believe in the importance of what I’m about, and what the charity is doing. It’s creating more of a sense of cohesiveness in our community.
As well, hearing people’s ‘Our Journey to Canada’ stories (which is a grassroots social media campaign where I showcase the immigration stories of immigrants, their children or their grandchildren) has been so inspiring. I have had numerous storytellers let me know that they have had people email them or call them and tell them that they never knew their story or that their story inspired them. Having the community love the stories and learn more about the individuals showcased has helped to create a dialogue about how we have more similarities than differences and that everyone has a story. It is very heartwarming to have people tell me that they look forward to seeing the next ‘Our Journey to Canada’ stories.
Additionally, being able to collaborate with various community entrepreneurs and businesses has been amazing! The ADL Scholarship values the importance of collaboration and partnership. I have made it my mission to engage working relationships with both formal and informal networks. I have creatively leveraged social media to connect with people from around the world and have raised awareness regarding the hard work of immigrants in Canada while also inspiring donors to contribute to my charity. In addition to contacting Police Officers, CEOs, government and political officials, business leaders, foundations, and students to share their ‘Our Journey to Canada’ stories, I have also tried to showcase the importance of supporting local businesses. By partnering with Windsor-Essex entrepreneurs and community leaders I have been able to increase the positive impact of my charity, its mission, and highlight various community partners.
I collaborated with a local Windsor-Essex clothing company called Rare Apparel and co-designed 100% Canadian made shirts. The goal of the shirt campaign was to “Future Proof” Yourself. The goal of Future Proof is to celebrate investing in yourself, whether it be through post-secondary education or learning a new skill or trade. For this design, Rare Apparel is donating $5 from every shirt sold to The Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship. The two founders of Rare Apparel, Tam and Scott stated that: “we feel this scholarship genuinely celebrates our diversity – and that is a cause that we truly believe in. After all, we are both 1st and 2nd generation Canadians ourselves. We wouldn’t be here if it were not for our ancestors travelling to Canada to pave the way for our future.” The shirt campaign showcased local Windsor-Essex leaders wearing the shirts and talking about their heritage, community advocacy, and contribution to society. These individuals included: Frank Abbruzzese (President of AlphaKOR), Sarah Mushtaq (community advocate), Taher Abumeeiz (owner of Arcata Pizza) and Salma Abumeeiz (Taher’s daughter), and Tam Nguyen (Co-Founder of Rare Apparel).
For 2 years, I also teamed up with a local entrepreneur to host the Windsor Fashion Festival. A portion of the event proceeds and 100% of raffle ticket sales were given to The ADL Scholarship. In turn, the Fashion Festival donated over $3000 to The Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship. The event showcased how Windsor-Essex entrepreneurs and business owners are giving back to the Windsor-Essex community. At this event, many international students at the University of Windsor also volunteered and attended the show. This gave the international students the opportunity to meet other Windsor students, learn about our community and Canada, and to network with University alumni and feel more at home.
My charity was chosen as the Admission recipient for the Etsy: Made in Canada Event that took place on September 29th. This event celebrated and showcased local entrepreneurs in the Windsor-Essex community all while building a sense of community cohesion by supporting local and supporting one another. Similarly, my charity was selected as the September/October Raffle Basket Charity of Choice by Coral Medical Spa. They are selling raffle tickets for an amazing raffle basket, with the raffle money being donated to The Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship.
Reaching my first fundraising goal of $25,000 was an amazing moment. I am so excited to see the first student receive this award. Having all this hard work come to fruition will be a very emotional moment for me. Having someone be able to help pay for some of their education with a scholarship that is named after my Nonna and represents the sacrifices and struggles of my paternal grandparents and many others in our community will be really touching. Regardless of people’s beliefs, I truly believe that the scholarship winner will have a lot of angels watching over them.
Individuals told me from the beginning at the Office of Student Awards and the Alumni Association office that it was going to be a lot of hard work. I’m the first and, as of now, only student at the time to create something like this. So they said it was definitely going to take a lot of work, which it has. It feels really nice to see this come to fruition. It only seems like a dream but these two-and-a-half years have gone by so fast. But now I just want to focus on achieving our second goal of $40,000, so that every year two deserving students can each receive a scholarship. Now, that’s the next challenge.
7. How can interested individuals get more involved with the initiative?
There are MANY ways for interested individuals to get more involved with this initiative. Firstly, people can donate to our charity as we accept any and all donations. Everyone receives a tax receipt for their donation and EVERY donation counts! We’re really looking for the community’s help in reaching our $40,000 goal. Which is only $15,000 away!! Any support is appreciated, whether it’s an individual wanting to donate, or a company, or a foundation, or even if it’s businesses wanting to do fundraisers on our behalf. We are definitely open to partnerships and collaborations and are appreciative of everything.
We gladly welcome organizations, businesses, school groups/clubs, and community groups who want to hold fundraising events on behalf of The ADL Scholarship. Whether it is companies, local organizations or business leaders, we value partnering with them and collaborating with our community. Local school groups and clubs can also fundraise for us, whether it is through bake sales, car washes, or events they run. People can also become ambassadors for our program, PR assistants/social media interns, or help us create fundraising events.
100% of all donations go into the Addolorata De Luca Leadership endowment fund. The scholarship will remain in place for years, assisting not just today’s generations, but generations to come. You can donate online at www.adlscholarship.com, or you can email info@adlscholarship.com to receive a donor card or our sponsorship package. We would also love for more people to share their Our Journey to Canada stories with us. If they are an immigrant, child of an immigrant, or grandchild of an immigrant, they can contact us at www.adlscholarship.com or email us at info@adlscholarship.com
They can read some of the stories at https://www.adlscholarship.com/blog.
They can also follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theadlscholarship/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theadlscholarship/
Email: info@adlscholarship.com
8. Lastly, what advice do you have for young people who want to get more involved in their local community?
I would tell them to never give up. If you are passionate about something and want to see it through, you need to follow your heart. Having a good support system and people who lift you up throughout the process is also vital. If it wasn’t for my family and close friends who kept me going by giving me words of encouragement and pep talks, I don’t know if I would be where I am today. Having a solid foundation of people who care about you and have your best interest in mind is important. I would encourage people to volunteer with things that they are passionate about. Every volunteer experience is important, not just for the organization itself but for the volunteer. You will learn about the organization you are volunteering for as well as yourself. Even setting up a meeting to talk to the organization is a great first step. Becoming knowledgeable about what they do will help you make the right decision on where you want to donate your time.
The Addolorata De Luca Scholarship is just one of many youth initiatives that strive to better the lives of those within our community. In many ways, I believe that focusing on Cessidia’s charity is an excellent way to introduce this mini-series as it emphasizes the importance of immigration and the influence that it has on our youth. Without the multicultural exchange of ideas, Windsor-Essex would not have some of the amazing organizations that it has today. Similarly, as this series progresses, it will become clear that without immigration, some of the featured individuals would not have had the opportunity to bring their achievements to Windsor. So, I hope you enjoyed this article and that you will continue to tune into this mini-series – I have a lot of exciting things planned that I can’t wait to share with you!
*If you are interested in being featured in the Windsor Youth in Action mini-series or would like to nominate someone else, you may submit an application form by clicking here.
**Please note that this series is not sponsored and that the opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Her Campus.