Graziella Conte, a senior at Bethpage High School, was recently recognized as a first-place winner in the singing portion of the Secondary School Poetry and Arts Contest: Gara di Poesia e Gara di Canto. The contest is run annually by the Long Island Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Italian. This year, students were invited to submit pre-recorded poem and song recitations. Graziella submitted a video of her performing “Caruso” by Lucio Dalla, in honor of her nonna (grandmother). Dalla was her grandmother’s biggest inspiration growing up.
Graziella’s grandparents were born and raised in Italy and both of her parents are first generation Americans. She developed a love of singing from an early age and has taken Italian courses throughout her entire high school career. Now in her senior year, Graziella is enrolled in Advanced Placement Italian with Teresa Sagarese. Both Ms. Sagarese and Graziella’s former Italian teacher Francesca Calio encouraged her to enter the singing portion of the contest after hearing her sing “Caruso” during the school’s Foreign Language Week.
“We’re getting the students involved in competitions and trying to spread our culture in a positive light,” Ms. Calio said.
Both Ms. Sagarese and Ms. Calio are so proud of Graziella for showcasing her talents and being recognized. As a result of her first-place win, Graziella was invited to the AATI, LI Annual Luncheon and Scholarship Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 6, 2023 where she was officially honored.
The Bethpage Union Free School District congratulates Graziella on this outstanding achievement!
