Two from Fisher Honored with Dante Scholarships

St. John Fisher University students Alana Spano and Carly Zona were named recipients of the Italian Women’s Civic Club (IWCC) 2025 Dante Scholarship Award during an awards brunch held on Saturday, Nov. 1.

Spano and Zona were among several local college students to be recognized for their academic achievement and pride in their Italian American heritage.  The Dante Scholarship is awarded to full-time matriculated undergraduate or graduate students at area colleges and universities. Awards are based on criteria set by the IWCC committee and include academic achievement, extracurricular activities, community service, and personal identification with Italian American heritage.

Spano is a junior working toward earning a Pharm.D. from the Wegmans School of Pharmacy. She is interested in compounding and clinical research and looks forward to having a positive impact in healthcare.

Zona is a first-year student in the Wegmans School of Pharmacy, where she is involved with the student chapter of the National Community Oncology Dispensing Association. Her involvement in the organization has helped her explore the role pharmacists play in oncology patient care.  

The IWCC created the Dante Scholarship Fund in 1921 to assist young men and women of Italian heritage in pursuing a college education. The scholarship was named after the great Italian poet, Dante Alighieri, in recognition of his passion for his literature. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $4,000.

The IWCC was established in 1919 to educate immigrant women on their newly acquired right to vote and assist them in assimilating into American life. The mission of the Club has evolved over the years and today focuses on supporting higher education opportunities for young adults of Italian ancestry.