L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 3 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS you had to choose one NOIAW member who has particularly inspired you either in your personal or professional life (or both), who would that be and why? Aileen: Through the years I have met many, many women of Italian ancestry who have broken barriers for women in the United S t a t e s . I t w a s a n I t a l i a n American woman who became the first female governor in the United States (Ella Grasso); the first airline pilot for a major airline (Bonnie Tiburzi); the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives (Nancy Pelosi); and the first American Saint ( M o t h e r C a b r i n i ) . J a n e t N a p o l i t a n o w a s f i r s t f e m a l e Secretary of Homeland Security. The first national president of the powerful women's organization N O W w a s E l l i e C u t r i Smeal. The most extraordinary w o m a n I ' v e k n o w n w a s G e r a l d i n e F e r r a r o . S h e w a s s i n c e r e i n h e r c o n v i c t i o n s , c o m m i t t e d t o N O I A W , a spectacular role model for Italian American women and a loyal personal friend! Maria: Yes, this is a difficult question because we have many women in our organization who have inspired us. First among many is Geraldine A. Ferraro, the first woman to become a vice presidential candidate on a major party ticket. We were fortunate t o h a v e h e r a s a f o u n d i n g member who stayed involved with NOIAW until her death, s e r v i n g a s a m e m b e r o f o u r Distinguished Board. I n w h a t w a y s h a s y o u r I t a l i a n h e r i t a g e i n f l u e n c e d your life and career? M a r i a : A l t h o u g h I a m o f mixed background, my Italian heritage has had a significant impact on me. My parents were hard-working, loving people who were positive role models with a tremendous work ethic. They challenged us to get an education and be the best we could be. I have no doubt that my success later in my career was a result of their example. Your mentor program is a wonderful initiative. Can you describe it for our readers and give some examples of how it has helped young women to enhance their confidence and self-esteem as well as their careers? M a r i a : O u r m e n t o r s a r e outstanding role models who e n c o u r a g e t h e p r o f e s s i o n a l aspirations of our mentees. They h e l p w o m e n w h o a r e j u s t starting out to develop a strong professional network. One of our mentees went on to become an attorney, Treasurer of the NOIAW board, President of the Italian Welfare League and a board member of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). Our young members have been mentored in education and many other fields. Many m e n t e e s r e m a i n s o p o s i t i v e about their experience that they c o n t i n u e t o s e r v e a s a c t i v e m e m b e r s o f o u r c o m m u n i t y afterward. One program you have, w h i c h w e ' r e g u e s s i n g i s a favorite, is the organization of group trips to Italy. Can you talk about it, how many times a year do you have them and h o w d o y o u p i c k t h e destinations? Maria: These programs are typically conducted every other year, although we did have one i n T u s c a n y a n d R o m e i n September 2014, and a group just returned from Northern Italy a n d E X P O M i l a n o t h i s September. We try to choose different destinations, which will offer more than just a tourist experience. We often conduct c o n f e r e n c e s w i t h I t a l i a n women's organizations, which have taken place in Argentina, in A u s t r a l i a , a n d i n n u m e r o u s locations in Italy. We have had the opportunity to meet with p r o m i n e n t I t a l i a n w o m e n i n g o v e r n m e n t , m a n y d i f f e r e n t professions, and the arts - and even the Pope! In addition to visiting the EXPO, this year our group toured Lake Como, met with the Ermenegildo Zegna f a m i l y , a n d w i t n e s s e d t h e famous Passion of the Christ play in Sordevolo, a medieval town whose villagers put on the performance every five years. As you celebrate your 35th a n n i v e r s a r y , w h a t a r e NOIAW's plans and goals for the future? Maria: We hope to expand our reach both geographically and demographically. We are developing young professional g r o u p s i n o u r r e g i o n s a n d networks to ensure the future of our organization. Continued from page 2 Current and past participants in NOIAW's annual Cultural Exchange program meet Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Claudio Bisogniero, and Consul General Natalie Quintavalle for a roundtable discussion at the Italian Consulate in New York City

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