For the first time in its history, the Italian American Baseball Foundation (IABF) has awarded college scholarships to deserving student-athletes. Three scholarships have been awarded in the fall 2021 semester.
Scholarship honorees include Francesco Bonvini, Franco Logozzo and Shannon Russo. Bonvni, who is from Parma in Northern Italy, is playing baseball at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn. Logozzo is playing baseball at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue, New York. Russo is playing softball at Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey.
The IABF Scholarship Committee established a criteria for scholarships, which include a GPA of 3.0 or higher, at least 25% Italian heritage, be on a current roster of a college baseball or softball team and show financial need. All applicants must submit transcripts, letters of recommendation, FAFSA documentation and a personal statement about their Italian American pride. Scholarships are open to Americans and international students from Italy.
“This is another major step in the progression of IABF,” said Joe Quagliano, President/Founder of the IABF. “One of our goals has always been to fund scholarships for deserving student-athletes who play baseball or softball and are proud of their Italian American heritage. We can’t wait to keep building on this commitment.”
Honorees will be recognized at the annual IABF Gala on December 2 in Brooklyn. Tickets for the event will be available soon.
From the honorees …
Bonvini: “For me, the scholarship means to come to Brooklyn and start making myself a better player and reach my goal of playing in the Major Leagues. I hope to make it and I need to thank the IABF a lot because they gave me this possibility.”
Logozzo: “It is a great honor that I received this scholarship from the Italian American Baseball Foundation. It will help me in so many ways with my college career and can continue to let me play baseball. It’s an honor to be an Italian American. This is such a great moment in my life that I will always remember and I will continue to work hard for my goals and my baseball career.”
Russo: “I am so honored and humbled by this generous award. It means so much to me to be an Italian American. To be a recipient of an Italian American Baseball Foundation scholarship is one of the proudest moments of my life. Your generosity is such a help to me with the financial burden of my college education. To be able to tell my family that the IABF had chosen me was an awesome moment. I promise to work as hard as I can to live up to this award.”
Learn more about IABF Scholarships.
About IABF: The Italian American Baseball Foundation (IABF) is a 501c3 charity foundation established in 2016 that is committed to developing and promoting youth baseball and softball in the United States and Italy by sponsoring clinics and camps supervised by MLB players, scouts, and college coaches. The goal is to harness an appreciation for our Italian American culture and heritage through baseball and softball. IABF awards college baseball and softball scholarships to high school students that qualify, donates equipment to organized youth teams and individuals in need and advises on citizenship documentation for players in Italy and America. Our goal is to build an international youth baseball and softball academy that will combine education and sport. The IABF is committed to achieving excellence in the classroom, on the field and in the community. Follow @IABF5 on Twitter, @IABF_Official on Instagram or IABF.Foundation online for more information.
