Triangle Lodge 2817 is proud to support higher education by awarding two (2) scholarships of $1,000.00 each to qualifying current high school seniors who plan to enroll as a full-time freshman or first-year full-time student at a college or technical school for the 2026 – 2027 academic year.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Application Deadline: April 7, 2026
Selection Date: May 7, 2026
Recipient Recognition: June 7, 2026 (Triangle Lodge 2817 Annual Family Picnic, Cary, NC)
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
Students are eligible to apply if they meet the following requirements:
Must be a direct descendant of a Triangle Lodge 2817 member of Italian lineage in good standing as of December 31, 2025 or prior to that date, regardless of residence.
Must be a U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder.
Must be a high school senior.
Must plan to enroll as a full-time freshman or first-year full-time student at a college or technical school in Fall 2026.
APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS:
Applications will be reviewed by the Triangle Lodge 2817 Scholarship Committee and evaluated based on:
Completed application form available on Lodge website and distributed to all Lodge members
Essay
Résumé
Academic transcript
Applicants may optionally submit standardized test scores.
DOWNLOADABLE APPLICATION
Click on the following link to download the 2026 Scholarship application
Triangle Sons & Daughters of Italy – Lodge 2817 – 2026 Scholarship Winners
On behalf of the Triangle Lodge Scholarship Committee and the entire Lodge, we are pleased to award a $1,000 scholarship to support the upcoming academic pursuits of Peter Manns and Victoria (Tori) Horner.
PETER MANNS
Peter Manns is graduating from East Chapel Hill High School with a weighted GPA of 4.55, and he will be attending UNC Chapel Hill in the Fall where he will explore his interest in business and medicine. He is the grandson of Triangle Lodge Members Jan and Tony DiSantostefano.
Peter’s pride in his Italian Heritage has clearly been influenced through his travel to Rome, Italy where he soaked up history, culture, food, and soccer.
More importantly, his grandparents and mom have played a very active role in his life incorporating Italian culture through culinary learning, social activities such as Italian card games, and instilling the importance of giving back to the community.
In his essay he wrote “These moments remind me that heritage is not only about where you come from, but about the values and traditions like “family time” that you carry forward.
Examples of Peter’s accomplishments include:
Team Lead for Water Quality Monitoring, Assessment, and Clean-up at Bolin Creek Site & Eno River
Food Drive Leader
Volunteer at Ronald McDonald House
Speaker Coordinator for Nat. Tech. Honor Society
College Board AP Scholar
North Carolina Scholar
Latin Honors
Somehow Peter also finds the time to devote about 20 hours per week playing league soccer for the past 10 years at Triangle United Soccer, NC Football Club, and East Chapel Hill High School. He’s also a lifeguard too!
Peter’s credentials clearly bring to life his passion for excelling at academics, athletics, and volunteerism and having an impact in the community.
VICTORIA (TORI) HORNER
Tori Horner is graduating from Willow Spring High School with a weighted GPA of 4.0., and will be attending Eastern Carolina University. She is the daughter of Triangle Lodge Member Monica Inzaina.
Tori’s appreciation for her Italian heritage has been cultivated by her mother throughout her life. Tori holds dual citizenship with Italy, and she is well travelled to her family’s roots in Sardinia, and visited Florence, Rome, Pisa, Bologna, Verona, and many other small towns. Perhaps the most impactful way that Tori’s grasp of Italian culture has been cemented is by repeatedly hosting her Italian cousins at her home during the summers where native Italians and Italian Americans teach each other. In her essay Tori wrote “Family history has always been important to my family and our origin story is celebrated”.
Tori is a multi-faceted performing artist and will be pursuing a degree in music.
Examples of Tori’s accomplishments include:
Tri-M Music Honor Society
Varsity Dance Team
Spirit of America Dance Stars
Isenberg Entertainment Mentorship Program
American Dance Championships
Star Talent National Dance Finalist
Velocity Dance Scholarship Recipient
Trained vocalist and featured in many stage productions, film, tv projects, and even modeled for Vogue Italia
Competitive dancer for 10 years and is employed as a Dance Instructor and choreographer
Tori’s credentials reflect her appreciation for the arts and Italy. In fact, her audition for the ECU School of Music was singing the Italian piece “Dolce Scherza”.
Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) Merit Scholarships:
Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) also awards merit scholarships. For more information please click on this link: http://www.osia.org/programs/scholarships
Donate to the Scholarship Fund
Consider making a memorial contribution in the memory of a loved one.
If a donation of $750 or more is received as a memorial, the awarded scholarship will be named after your loved one.
You can donate on-line (see links below) or you can send your donation (any amount is welcome) in the form of a check, payable to TSOI -2817 to:
Treasurer: Mary Muth 115 Beasley Court Cary, NC 27513
Please indicate if it is regular donation or a memorial donation.
NOTE on TAX DEDUCTION: “Donors may wish to treat their contribution to the TSDOI Scholarship Fund as tax deductible since the funds are used exclusively for a charitable purpose dedicated to the advancement of education. TSDOI is a 501 (c) (8) organization (EIN: 20-1478107). Under the provisions of section 170 of the Code, donors may deduct contributions that are used exclusively for charitable and public purposes. The definition of charitable purposes includes the advancement of education.”
