Donna Rapaccioli honored at Columbus Day parade
Announcements | Oct 11, 2018 | admin
Music. Maseratis. And Italian-American pride.
The green, white, and red flags were flying at the 74th installment of New York City’s Columbus Day parade on Monday, October 8. Festivities featured the traditional participants—marching bands, floats, dignitaries, and government officials, including Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio—as well as some uniquely Italian additions like Ferraris, Vespas, and Frank Sinatra tributes.
This year’s parade also celebrated a face familiar to the Gabelli School community: Dean Donna Rapaccioli was honored at the 2018 Columbus Celebration by the Columbus Citizens Foundation, along with former New York First Lady Matilda Cuomo and Italian Language Foundation President Dr. Margaret Cuomo.
The honorees joined grand marshal Guy Chiarello, president of First Data Corporation, as the parade marched its way up 5th Avenue in a celebration of Italian-American heritage and culture.
Of her own Italian heritage, Rapaccioli says one hallmark is “the centrality of education, food, and family,” and that “I also try to instill in our students the same strong work ethic that I instilled in my own children.”
