Katherine Paonessa

Unico Essay: “Describe the development of applicant’s educational interests from the
time of entry into high school until the date of this application. Please include references
on how applicant’s Italian heritage influenced his/her educational goals

Throughout my four years at Nutley High School, I have always challenged

myself in the classroom, by engaging in various extra curricular activities, and on the

softball field. I am able to balance my honors and AP classes with my clubs and sports,

while consistently earning a spot on the honor roll. In the beginning of my high school

journey, I was intent on going to culinary school in order to start my very own pastry

shop. My parents were hesitant of my choice due to the long hours and holidays I would

have to work, so they encouraged me to look at careers within other academic areas. By

taking a variety of math, science, history, English and elective courses, I truly started to

develop an interest for science. I love working hands-on in the lab and being able to put

the information I learn in school to real life use. I joined the Health Careers Club to see

what options I would have in different fields of medicine. My mom is a pharmacist so we

like to say that a love of science “runs in the family”. While I thought about different

career paths, one aspect of my high school career remained unchanged: my love of

everything Italian.

I am currently taking Italian IV honors and I am co-president of Italian Club and a

member of the Italian National Honor Society. I write in my Italian journal on a daily

basis, and in class we watch Italian movies, learn about about current events in Italy, or

sing Italian songs. Starting my freshman year, the club has hosted a dinner called “Serata

in Piazza”, Italian Night, movie night, and numerous bake sales. We have also sent items

to the troops in Afghanistan and donated Christmas gifts to needy children. Currently, we
are trying to organize a trip to Little Italy, another Italian Night, and we are designing

club t-shirts embroidered with the coliseum. Italian Club and the four classes I have taken

have opened my eyes to all aspects of Italian culture that I have a passion for, including

the beautiful language, music, clothes, and especially food. I am involved in numerous

caterings with the Advanced Culinary Arts program. Mr. Huggins has informed us that

we will be catering for an upcoming Unico meeting. I am so excited to cater this event

and experience in person what an Italian-American service organization meeting is all

about. I am so glad that I encouraged my dad to join Unico because I knew he would be a

perfect fit. Ever since he joined, he comes home after every meeting and highlights that

night’s events for me.

When my teacher asked me if I would be interested in hosting Calabrese

exchange students for two weeks, I immediately agreed. Two girls, Cristina Servino and

Jessica Viteritti, moved in to my house in April 2009. I was pleasantly surprised at how

these Italian teenagers related to me and how well we were able to communicate with

each other. There was no language barrier between my Italian and their English. When I

would turn on the radio, the girls even sang along to some popular American songs. We

went out to eat, to the movies, the mall, New York City, museums, Six Flags amusement

park and we even spent Easter together. I learned more about Italian than I ever could

have imagined from these two girls. Thanks to Cristina and Jessica, I can better

understand what life is like in Italy. When two weeks were up and it was time for the

group to return to Italy, we listened to “Con te Partirò” and cried in each other’s arms.

Ever since the girls left I have felt so inspired to visit Italy for myself. I have worked

diligently babysitting, at Petracco and Son’s Deli, as a pre-k teacher’s aid, and in the
department of medical billing for a podiatrist to finally save up enough money to go on

the high school’s two week tour of Italy in April. I am thrilled that I have been given the

opportunity to tour the country, home of my grandparents, which I have heard so many

wonderful things about.

The thing about being Italian that has helped me prosper in high school and in life

is the family values and traditions that we abide by. My grandfather, Vito, was born in

San Vito, Calabria and my grandmother, Katherine, was born in Sant’ Andrea, Calabria,

making my dad, Gerard, the first born generation in America. When they came here in

1953, they brought over customs that the future generations of the Paonessa family still

follow. My grandpa owned and operated “Roma Barbershop” for 42 years in Bayonne,

NJ where my grandma was a seamstress. The family always eats together, especially on

Sunday, and we talk loud and with our hands. We traditionally eat seven fishes and

zeppoles on Christmas Eve and lasagna, baked ziti, pannetone, and my favorite once-a-

year snack, sugar covered almonds, on Christmas Day. My favorite day of the year is

definitely Easter, because my grandma makes her homemade manicotti. We also have

lamb and potatoes, Easter bread, Colomba cake, and hollow chocolate eggs each with a

toy in the middle for dessert. With every holiday and family gathering, we never need an

excuse to drink my dad’s homemade red and white wines.

I hold these traditions near and dear to my heart. No matter where life takes me in

the next couple years, I am certain that my close knit Italian family will always be there

supporting me. My grandma makes the best salad and spaghetti in the world, and I know

that she will have it ready and waiting for me whenever I get sick of cafeteria food. These

values that have been carried down in my family have undoubtedly helped me develop
and mature into the woman I am proud to be today. I am also certain of one last thing,

that no matter how hard I study proper Italian in school, I will get no better lesson on

Calabrese dialect than from my grandma.