“I always say I was born here, but my heart was truly born in Italy.” Those are the words of Anna Izzo, who studied in Italy, traveled the country extensively, and now teaches Italian at Elk Grove High School in suburban Chicago. Izzo, who calls herself “a student at heart,” holds several degrees. She has undergraduate degrees in Italian, Spanish and secondary education from the University of Iowa. She also has three master’s degrees: one in curriculum and instruction with an English Language Learning concentration from National Louis University; one in health and wellness from the American College of Education; …

From the moment she stepped on U.S. soil at age 5, Giulia Feiza Voirol despised the name Roseanne, given to her by her adoptive mother. It was only recently that the now 71-year-old decided to once again go by her Italian birth name, Giulia. Feiza Voirol lives in La Grange, in suburban Chicago, with her husband of nine years, James Voirol. She has a daughter from her first marriage, along with two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She grew up with her adoptive family in Cicero, also in suburban Chicago, and has been on a decades-long quest to find her birth …

Boasting a successful corporate career in accounting and finance, S. Joseph Bruno continues to devote himself to a variety of charitable causes. After emigrating from Italy at age 8, S. Joseph Bruno has had a highly successful career as a certified public accountant, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a partner in two “Big 4” accounting firms and the CFO of a public company. He is the President and CEO Emeritus of Building Hope, a nonprofit that supports charter schools. In December, he joined the board of directors of the Italian American Museum of Washington, and in January, he was appointed …

From a young age, Ida Fiore knew she wanted to be a teacher. “I loved school and everything about it, from learning new things to building relationships with my teachers and classmates,” she says. “Teaching felt like a natural path for me, combining my passion for education and my desire to make a difference in the lives of others.” Now 32 years into her teaching career, Fiore has made an indelible mark by co-founding SaLT (Service and Learning Together), a volunteer-run nonprofit whose mission is to empower students by giving them the opportunity to travel, learn and serve. “We started …

When Enza Spilotro’s family moved from Chicago’s South Side to suburban Addison, she chose to attend the local public high school rather than a private institution because she wanted to take Italian language classes. Nowadays, Spilotro walks the halls of her alma mater, Addison Trail High School, as an Italian teacher, a role she’s held for the last 18 years. “From as far as I can remember, I wanted to teach,” she recalls. “I always had a natural desire to help others, and become involved in the educational system. I love giving back and teaching allows me to do that …

Greg Padovani’s resume includes 17 bullet points under the list of organizations he has served with, and 12 under the list of honors he has received. And neither list is fully complete. A U.S. Army veteran, Padovani is the president and founder of PENS Communications Systems, LLC, and lives in his hometown of Arlington Heights. He is widely regarded there, and throughout the region, as a dedicated champion of veterans’ causes. “It’s in my nature to serve and help others,” he says. “I have tried to learn from, and pattern my life after, leaders and inspirational people. Some I would …

Being born in Palermo and growing up in Sicily, Monica Valenti Niespodziany used to gather her friends and play “pretend school,” putting herself in the role of the teacher. When she decided to become a teacher, her family wasn’t the least bit surprised, she says. Valenti Niespodziany has taught Italian at St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Kenosha since 2016. There, she has grown the Italian language program by starting an Italian Honor Society, launching an AP Italian course, and partnering with a school in Rome through the Italian Consulate in Chicago. She is also the world language department lead at …

A former college professor and administrator, Joseph Scelsa spearheaded the creation of the Italian American Museum in New York to bring our community’s countless stories vividly to life for the general public. The Italian American Museum in New York reopened in October after a massive, six-year transformation and expansion. The unveiling was the culmination of 23 years of work by Joseph Scelsa, the museum’s founder and president, whose vision and tenacity made it all possible. With a doctorate in sociology and education from Columbia University, Scelsa’s resume also includes serving as dean of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute …

On his way to becoming a history teacher, Michael Bodenhagen stumbled onto teaching Italian. Now, he’s found his passion, he says. Bodenhagen grew up in Homer Glen, Illinois, in a family that was very proud of its Italian heritage, he says. His maternal grandparents moved from Bari to the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, and relatives on his father’s side came from Termini Imerese, Sicily. “My mom and nonna would speak to each other in Italian, which would be the driving factor in my desire to learn Italian,” he says. “In addition, we would have big family parties …

Hooked on science ever since his parents bought him a chemistry set at the age of 10, Dr. Louis Ignarro’s life was transformed when he discovered the remarkable impact that nitric oxide has on our overall health. The son of uneducated Italian immigrants, Dr. Louis J. Ignarro won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1998 for a discovery that led to important advances in promoting cardiovascular health. His memoir, “Dr. NO: The Discovery That Led to a Nobel Prize and Viagra,” was published in 2022. His second book, “The Miracle Molecule,” is expected out this year. Now a professor emeritus …