Vestal, NY – For the fifth year in a row, a local student has been awarded a scholarship from the New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators. Last week, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo welcomed graduating Vestal High School senior Caden DellaPenta to Albany for a luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion to celebrate his achievement. Today, Lupardo and DellaPenta were joined by music teacher Austin Kiley at Vestal High School for the presentation of DellaPenta’s $4,500 James D. Conte Memorial Academic Achievement Scholarship check.

The award is one of four scholarships the Conference awards annually. The scholarship application is made available to any graduating student living in a Conference member’s legislative district. Four students are selected each year for scholarships, two academic and two athletic.

DellaPenta will be attending Lehigh University this fall to study English with the goal of becoming an English professor. DellaPenta is the President of his class and the President of Vestal Voices, his school’s curricular honors choir. Additionally, he is a fan section leader of the Varsity Club, making him the first openly gay student to hold this position at Vestal High School. DellaPenta is very active both in and out of school, performing in school musicals, volunteering at the Broome County Humane Society, and being a member of the National Honors Society and Diversity Club, among many others.

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, former Chair of the Conference of Italian-American Legislators, said, “We are very proud to award Caden DellaPenta this scholarship for his academic achievement. He is a terrific student who clearly enjoys giving back to his community. This was apparent in the moving essay he wrote for his scholarship application. I’d like to thank my colleagues in the Conference for joining me in support of Caden and all of his future endeavors.”